A CPW fed quad-port MIMO DRA for sub-6 GHz 5G applications

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics and Antennas
• Wireless Communication Systems
• Microwave Engineering

Background:

• Dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs) are widely used due to their compact size and high radiation efficiency.
• Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology enhances wireless communication performance by utilizing multiple antennas.
• Existing MIMO antenna designs often face challenges with size, isolation, and bandwidth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a novel four-port, single-element dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) for sub-6 GHz applications.
• To demonstrate multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) characteristics using pattern diversity in a single DRA.
• To explore the potential of a symmetric cross-shaped DRA for future MIMO array applications.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of a symmetric cross-shaped DRA.
• Feeding the DRA using four coplanar waveguide (CPW) feeds.
• Simulating and measuring the antenna's impedance bandwidth, port isolation, and radiation patterns.

Main Results:

• Achieved a -10 dB impedance bandwidth of 11.6% (5.52 GHz to 6.2 GHz), covering 5G NR band N47 and IEEE 802.11a WLAN.
• Demonstrated good port isolation: ~15 dB between orthogonal ports and ~12 dB between opposite ports.
• Confirmed MIMO characteristics through pattern diversity between the four ports, validated by simulated and measured results.

Conclusions:

• The proposed four-port DRA successfully achieves MIMO characteristics with pattern diversity.
• The bidirectional radiation pattern and achieved bandwidth make it suitable for sub-6 GHz wireless applications.
• The design's symmetry allows for potential extension to more complex MIMO array configurations.