1. A method for determining an optimized artificial impedance surface comprising acts of: selecting a set of input parameters, the set of input parameters comprising an impedance range, a feed excitation surface wave, and an impedance surface; calculating a 0 th order surface wave profile for the impedance surface from the set of input parameters; determining a desired far field radiation pattern; calculating an artificial impedance pattern for the impedance surface from the 0 th order surface wave profile and the desired far field radiation pattern; calculating an actual surface wave profile produced on the impedance surface from the artificial impedance pattern, and an actual far field radiation pattern produced by the actual surface wave profile; calculating an optimized artificial impedance pattern by iteratively re-calculating the artificial impedance pattern from the actual surface wave profile and the desired far field radiation pattern; and determining an optimized artificial impedance surface by mapping the optimized artificial impedance pattern onto a representation of a physical surface.