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How do I correctly plot and interpret co-polar and cross-polar radiation patterns in CST Studio?

I am simulating an antenna in CST Studio and want to evaluate its polarization purity.
While far-field plots are available, I am not fully confident I am extracting co-polar and cross-polar components correctly.
I want to understand the right setup and how experienced designers interpret these plots.

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By Zubain Answered 1 year ago


From my experience, the most common mistake in CST is not defining the correct polarization reference before plotting results. I have seen many students rely on default far-field plots without checking whether Ludwig’s definition or spherical components are being used. I would recommend explicitly selecting the intended polarization definition and observation plane, then comparing co- and cross-polar levels across angles rather than at boresight alone. In practice, good designs show stable co-polar dominance over the main beam and predictable cross-polar behavior off-axis, which is far more informative than a single plot.
 

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