Dual-Band Eight-Element MIMO Array Using Multi-Slot Decoupling Technique for 5G Terminals

This paper presents a dual-band eight-element multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array using a multi-slot decoupling technique for the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication. By employing a compact dual-loop antenna element, the proposed array obtains two broad bandwidths of 12.2% and 15.4% for sub-6GHz operation. To reduce the mutual coupling between antenna elements, a novel dual-band decoupling method is proposed by employing a multi-slot structure. The proposed MIMO array achieves 15.5-dB and 19.0-dB isolations across the two operating bands. Furthermore, three decoupling modes generated by different bent slots can be independently tuned. Zero ground clearance is also realized by the coplanar arrangement of the antenna elements and decoupling structures. The proposed MIMO array was simulated, fabricated, and measured. Experimental results agree well with the simulations, showing that the dual-band MIMO array has good impedance matching, high isolation, and high efficiency. In addition, the envelope correlation coefficient and channel capacity are calculated and analyzed to validate the MIMO performance of the 5G terminal array. Such a dual-band high-isolation eight-element MIMO array with zero ground clearance is a promising candidate for 5G or future mobile applications

Statistical Review Evaluation of 5G Antenna Design Models from a Pragmatic Perspective under Multi-Domain Application Scenarios

Antenna design for the 5G spectrum requires analysis of contextual frequency bands, design of miniaturization techniques, gain improvement models, polarization techniques, standard radiation pattern designs, metamaterial integration, and substrate selection. Most of these models also vary in terms of qualitative & and quantitative parameters, which include forward gain levels, reverse gain, frequency response, substrate types, antenna shape, feeding levels, etc. Due to such a wide variety in performance, it is ambiguous for researchers to identify the optimum models for their application-specific use cases. This ambiguity results in validating these models on multiple simulation tools, which increases design delays and the cost of deployments. To reduce this ambiguity, a survey of recently proposed antenna design models is discussed in this text. This discussion recommended that polarization optimization and gain maximization are the major impact factors that must be considered while designing antennas. It is also recommended that collocated microstrip slot antennas, fully planar dual-polarized broadband antennas, and real-time deployments of combined slot antenna pairs with wide-band decoupling are very advantageous. Based on this discussion, researchers will be able to identify optimal performance-specific models for different applications. This discussion also compares underlying models in terms of their quantitative parameters, which include forward gain levels, bandwidth, complexity of deployment, scalability, and cost metrics. Upon referring to this comparison, researchers will be able to identify the optimum models for their performance-specific use cases. This review also formulates a novel Antenna Design Rank Metric (ADRM) that combines the evaluated parameters, thereby allowing readers to identify antenna design models that are optimized for multiple parameters and can be used for large-scale 5G communication scenarios

Dual-Band Ten-Element MIMO Array Based on Dual-Mode IFAs for 5G Terminal Applications

A dual-band ten-element MIMO array based on dual-mode inverted-F antennas (IFAs) for 5G terminal applications is presented in this paper. The proposed dual-mode IFA is composed of two radiators, which are etched on the outer and inner surfaces of the side-edge frame. The outer part of the antenna generates the low-order mode at 3.5 GHz, while the inner part radiates another one-quarter-wavelength mode at 4.9 GHz. In this way, the IFA can achieve dual-band operation within a compact size of 10.6 × 5.3 × 0.8 mm 3 . Based on the proposed antenna, a dual-band ten-element multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) array is developed for 5G terminal applications. By combining neutralization line structures with decoupling branches, the isolations between the elements are improved. To validate the design concept, a prototype of the ten-element MIMO array is designed, fabricated, and measured. The experimental results show that the proposed antenna can cover the 3.3-3.6 GHz and 4.8-5.0 GHz bands with good isolation and high efficiency. Furthermore, the envelope correlation coefficient (ECC), and channel capacity are also calculated to verify the MIMO performances for 5G sub-6GHz applications

Wideband Back-Cover Antenna Design Using Dual Characteristic Modes With High Isolation for 5G MIMO Smartphone

© 2022 IEEE - All rights reserved. This is the accepted manuscript version of an article which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1109/TAP.2022.3145456A novel method of designing a wideband high isolated dual-antenna pair using dual characteristic modes (CMs)is presented for fifth-generation (5G) multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) smartphone applications. A set of orthogonal CMs resonating from the square-loop slot is first introduced and works for the lower band. Then, another set of orthogonal CMs resonating from the edge branches is introduced with a shared compact radiator and works for the higher band. In combination with two sets of degenerated CMs and a capacitive coupling feeding structure, the proposed dual-antenna pair achieves abroad impedance bandwidth and high isolation without the need for any external decoupling structures. Based on this dual-antenna pair, an 8×8 MIMO array is developed and integrated into the back cover of a smartphone, which realizes zero ground clearance on the system circuit board. To verify the design concept, prototypes of the antenna pair and MIMO array were fabricated and measured. It shows that experimental results agree well with the simulation results. More importantly, the presented 8×8 MIMO array has high isolation of more than 20 dBis achieved across the operating band of 3.3-3.8 GHz.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Antenna System Design for 5G and Beyond – A Modal Approach

Antennas are one of the key components that empower a new generation of wireless technologies, such as 5G and new radar systems. It has been shown that antenna design strategies based on modal theories represent a powerful systematic approach to design practical antenna systems with high performance. In this thesis, several innovative multi-antenna systems are proposed for wireless applications in different frequency bands: from sub-6 GHz to millimeter-wave (mm-wave) bands. The thesis consists of an overview (Part I) and six scientific papers published in peer-reviewed international journals (Part II). Part I provides the overall framework of the thesis work: It presents the background and motivation for the problems at hand, the fundamental modal theories utilized to address these problems, as well as subject-specific research challenges. Brief conclusions and future outlook are also provided. The included papers of Part II can be divided into two tracks with different 5G and beyond wireless applications, both aiming for higher data rates.In the first track, Papers [I] to [IV] investigate different aspects of antenna system design for smart-phone application. Since Long Term Evolution (LTE) (so-called 3.5G) was deployed in 2009, mobile communication systems have utilized multiple-input multiple-output antenna technology (MIMO) technology to increase the spectral efficiency of the transmission channel and provide higher data rates in existing and new sub-6 GHz bands. However, MIMO requires multi-antennas at both the base stations and the user equipment (mainly smartphones) and it is very challenging to implement sub-6 GHz multi-antennas within the limited space of smartphones. This points to the need for innovative design strategies. The theory of characteristic modes (TCM) is one type of modal theory in the antenna community, which has been shown to be a versatile tool to analyze the inherent resonance properties of an arbitrarily shaped radiating structure. Characteristic modes (CMs) have the useful property of their fields being orthogonal over both the source region and the sphere at infinity. This property makes TCM uniquely suited for electrically compact MIMO antenna design.In the second track, Papers [V]-[VI] investigate new integrated antenna arrays and subarrays for the two wireless applications, which are both implemented in a higher part of the mm-wave frequency range (i.e. E-band). Furthermore, a newly developed high resolution multi-layer “Any-Layer” PCB technology is investigated to realize antenna-in-package solutions for these mmwave antenna system designs. High gain and high efficiency antennas are essential for high-speed wireless point-to-point communication systems. To meet these requirements, Paper [V] proposes directive multilayer substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity-backed slot antenna array and subarray. As a background, the microwave community has already shown the benefits of modal theory in the design and analysis of closed structures like waveguides and cavities. Higher-order cavity modes are used in the antenna array design process to facilitate lower loss, simpler feeding network, and lower sensitivity to fabrication errors, which are favorable for E-band communication systems. However, waveguide/cavity modes are confined to fields within the guided media and can only help to design special types of antennas that contain those structures. As an example of the versatility of TCM, Paper [VI] shows that apart from smartphone antenna designs proposed in Papers [I]-[IV], TCM can alsobe used to find the desirable modes of the linear antenna arrays. Furthermore, apart from E-band communications, the proposed series-fed patch array topology in Paper [VI] is a good candidate for application in 79 GHz MIMO automotive radar due to its low cost, compact size, ability to suppress surface waves, as well as relatively wide impedance and flat-gain bandwidths

Compact MIMO Slots Antenna Design with Different Bands and High Isolation for 5G Smartphone Applications

في هذه الورقة ، تم استخدام عنصرين من هوائي متعدد المدخلات متعدد المخرجات (MIMO)  لدراسة النطاقات  ((3.1-3.55) - (3.7-4.2) - (3.4-4.7) - ( 3.4-3.8) - (3.6-4.2)) جيجا هيرتز لتطبيقات الجيل الخامس(5G) والمستخدمة في الهواتف الذكية التي سيتم طرحها في أسواق الولايات المتحدة وكوريا وأوروبا والصين واليابان.  يبلغ حجم الهوائي المقترح  26 × 46 × 0.8 ملم مكعب، مع هيكل مناسب وصغير الحجم اضافة الى ذلك أظهر الهوائي المقترح عزلة وكفاءة عاليتين، كذلك اظهر مستوى منخفض لمعامل الارتباط المغلف (ECC) وعودة الخسارة، هذه المواصفات تتناسب تماما تطبيقات الجيل الخامس (5G). وقد تم تصنيع الهوائي المقترح من مادة FR4  الغيرمكلفة بمستوى سماكة 0.8 ملم، وشدة فقدان مقدارها 0.035 وثابت عازل قدره 4.3 ، اظهرت نتائج المحاكاة لهوائيات MIMO المقترحة التي تغطي النطاقات الخمسة المختلفة مستوى عزل عالي لكل منها حوالي 14 ديسيبل و 12 ديسيبل و 21.5 ديسيبل و 19 ديسيبل و 20 ديسيبل تحت عرض النطاق الترددي العائق -10 ديسيبل. ومن خلال التصنيع والقياس للنموذج الاولي  لهوائي ( MIMO) الذي يغطي النطاق (3.4-3.8) المستخدم  في كل من أوروبا والصين، وجد أن الهوائي المقترح قد حقق أداء أفضل من حيث الكفاءة والعزلة ومعامل الارتباط المغلف(ECC). In this paper, two elements of the multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna had been used to study the five (3.1-3.55GHz and 3.7-4.2GHz), (3.4-4.7 GHz), (3.4-3.8GHz) and (3.6-4.2GHz) 5G bands of smartphone applications that is to be introduced to the respective US, Korea, (Europe and China) and Japan markets. With a proposed dimension of 26 × 46 × 0.8 mm3, the medium-structured and small-sized MIMO antenna was not only found to have demonstrated a high degree of isolation and efficiency, it had also exhibited a lower level of envelope correlation coefficient and return loss, which are well-suited for the 5G bands application. From the fabrication of an inexpensive FR4 substrate with a 0.8 mm thickness level, a loss tangent of 0.035 and a dielectric constant of 4.3, the proposed MIMO antennas that had been simulated under the five different band coverage were discovered to have demonstrated a respective isolation level of about 14dB, 12dB, 21.5dB, 19dB and 20dB under a -10dB impendence bandwidth. In the measurement and fabrication outcomes that were derived from the use of the prototype MIMO in the (3.4-3.8) band of the Europe and Chinese markets, the proposed MIMO was thus found to have produced a better performance in terms of efficiency, isolation, and envelope correlation coefficient (ECC)