Discrete optimization models for the design and control of antenna elements and array configurations

The focus of this project funded by the national growth fund within the POLARIS consortium is on the exploration of the potential of discrete optimization methods for optimization problems in the context of radio frequency (RF) systems  such as radar. The basic idea is to exploit underlying specific problem structures, which has potential to yield performance improvements over current standards which often revert to “black box” or "global optimization" methods which typically come without any guarantee on quality, neither computation time. The domains where these techniques will be applied (for now) are antenna element synthesis, array synthesis, and dynamic control of arrays. The final goal is to develop a new toolbox to assist future RF antenna engineeers in designing the next generation of radar systems.