An innovative antenna array with high inter element isolation for sub-6 GHz 5G MIMO communication systems

Abstract

A novel technique is shown to improve the isolation between radiators in antenna arrays. The proposed technique suppresses the surface-wave propagation and reduces substrate loss thereby enhancing the overall performance of the array. This is achieved without affecting the antenna’s footprint. The proposed approach is demonstrated on a four-element array for 5G MIMO applications. Each radiating element in the array is constituted from a 3 × 3 matrix of interconnected resonant elements. The technique involves (1) incorporating matching stubs within the resonant elements, (2) framing each of the four-radiating elements inside a dot-wall, and (3) defecting the ground plane with dielectric slots that are aligned under the dot-walls. Results show that with the proposed approach the impedance bandwidth of the array is increased by 58.82% and the improvement in the average isolation between antennas #1&2, #1&3, #1&4 are 8 dB, 14 dB, 16 dB, and 13 dB, respectively. Moreover, improvement in the antenna gain is 4.2% and the total radiation efficiency is 23.53%. These results confirm the efficacy of the technique. The agreement between the simulated and measured results is excellent. Furthermore, the manufacture of the antenna array using the proposed approach is relatively straightforward and cost effective.

Broadband sub‐6 GHz flower‐shaped MIMO antenna with high isolation using theory of characteristic mode analysis (TCMA) for 5G NR bands and WLAN applications

“…In addition to the cited literature, many researchers have proposed various decoupling techniques for isolation improvement or mutual coupling reduction in array or MIMO antennas and new techniques for the 5G systems 31–38 . In recent years, many researchers have designed and suggested different MIMO antenna designs for different applications including UWB, sub‐6 GHz, and mm‐wave 5G systems 39–50 . Other than MIMO antennas, researchers have designed and reported many other configurations of fifth generation (5G) printed antennas for next generation communication applications 51–60 .…”

“…[31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] In recent years, many researchers have designed and suggested different MIMO antenna designs for different applications including UWB, sub-6 GHz, and mm-wave 5G systems. [39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50] Other than MIMO antennas, researchers have designed and reported many other configurations of fifth generation (5G) printed antennas for next generation communication applications. [51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60] This paper includes design and detailed report of a two-element monopole MIMO radiator using theory related to characteristic mode analysis.…”

A Single-Layer S/X- Band Shared Aperture Antenna with MIMO Characteristics at X-Band for Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar Applications

“…Better MIMO characteristics show superior robustness and MIMO capabilities under diferent hand-grip conditions [26]. In this antenna, an inner square ring resonator is embedded in T-shape substrate and uses the dot walls at radiating patches which helps to enhance the MIMO characteristics [27].…”

Efficient and Accurate Pattern Synthesis for Radome‐Enclosed Planar Arrays Using Iterative FFT via Two‐Dimensional Least‐Square Active Element Pattern Expansion

“…Antenna systems are of great importance for communication, sensing, radar systems, and etc. For example, in wireless communications, multiple input multiple output antenna systems have been widely studied to meet the requirements of the fifth generation mobile communication (Alibakhshikenari, Virdee, Benetatos, et al., 2022), and some metamaterial‐based antenna systems are attractive for further millimeter‐wave (mm‐wave) and terahertz (THz) wireless communications (Alibakhshikenari, Ali, et al., 2022; Alibakhshikenari, Virdee, Althuwayb, et al., 2021). In radar systems, phased arrays are widely used because of their pattern mainlobe shape and sidelobe level (SLL) control capability, as well as some other superior properties (Fenn et al., 2000; Kouemou, 2010).…”

“…In the past, many array pattern synthesis methods have been presented, but most of them deal only with the array factor synthesis, ignoring the mutual coupling (Ares‐Pena et al., 1999; Capozzoli et al., 2022; Caratelli & Viganó, 2011; D’Urso et al., 2016; Poli et al., 2010). To suppress the mutual coupling between elements, some techniques of adding appropriate isolators around antenna elements have been presented (Alibakhshikenari, Virdee, Benetatos, et al., 2022; Alibakhshikenari, Virdee, Salekzamankhani, et al., 2021; Alibakhshikenari, Virdee, Vadalà, et al., 2022). Additionally, in phased arrays, some methods using active element patterns (AEPs) such as in Kelley and Stutzman (1993), Pirhadi et al.…”