A Compact Phased Array Antenna for 5G MIMO Applications

In this article, a new methodology for applying the phased array antenna method to MIMO technology with the ability to provide improved frequency diversity and isolation properties is discussed. The radiator serves to attenuate sub-3 GHz bands by providing 1800 phase difference in the input signal at both the ports simultaneously. A network of asymmetric dual split-split ring resonators is loaded beneath the antenna model to give consistent isolation characteristics between 3.5 and 5.8 GHz. At 3.5 GHz, the gain of 4.23 dBi while 5.6 dBi at 5.8 GHz is attained with the volume of (23 × 23 × 1.6) mm3. The electromagnetic coupling effect between the ports was measured to be − 15 dB without any decoupling structures throughout the bandwidth 3.2 and 6.2 GHz. The MIMO benchmarks such as Envelope Correlation Coefficient of 0.003, Diversity Gain of 9.8 dB, and Total Active Reflection Coefficient less than − 15 dB were obtained from the proposed radiator.