On One More Property of the Ideal Array Element Pattern

An infinite planar array of controlled elements in the form of overlapped subarrays excited through a multiport circuit is considered. It is analytically shown that the contour element (subarray) pattern with an ideal contour shape corresponding to the absence of backward mutual coupling and, as a consequence, to the 100% element efficiency can be exactly formed at a definite amplitude distribution over the densely arranged small ideal subarray radiators in spite of the fact that each such a radiator in the subarray has low efficiency caused by the presence of backward mutual coupling. If the small ideal radiators are controlled directly (without the multiport circuit), the contour pattern can be formed with 100% array efficiency for any shape of the contour. If the radiators are not ideal, then the efficiency of the array shaping the contour pattern is determined by averaging the mismatch efficiency of the uniformly excited array scanning over the region bounded by the contour pattern.