An Eight-Element MIMO Antenna Array for NR Application

Abstract

We propose an eight-element multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna array for 5G (fifth generation) New Radio (NR) applications in the n78 (3.3–3.8 GHz) band to achieve a high data rate. In the proposed work antenna elements have rectangular slots on the ground. Microstrip lines directly feed an open slot in this design. The dimensions of the open slot are 21.5 × 4 mm (0.24 λ × 0.046 λ at 3.5 GHz) and the slot covers 19.18% of the bandwidth in the frequency band 3.3–4 GHz. The eight antenna elements are arranged in such a way that they are coupled and also achieve an excellent degree of polarization. The proposed eight-element MIMO antenna array is fabricated and measured. Across the operation band, the measured isolation of the proposed antenna is −35 dB, −18 dB, −11 dB, −50 dB, −18 dB, −30db, −11 dB, and −35 dB for S12, S15, S26, S34, S53, S56, S64, and S78 respectively. The proposed antenna design can achieve desired antenna parameters, i.e. Isolation >11 dB, total efficiency >68%, and several MIMO performance characteristics are evaluated, including envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) < 0.03, the total active reflection coefficient (TARC) is −7 dB, the diversity gain (DG) is 9.96 dB and the channel capacity losses (CCL) is less than 0.02 were measured at desired bandwidth. The radiation pattern and antenna gain are also shown in this paper. The design is suitable for 5G communication networks.

KEYWORDS:

• 5G mobile technology
• Channel capacity
• Channel capacity losses
• Diversity gain
• ECC
• MIMO
• Mutual coupling
• NR frequency band
• Total active reflection coefficient

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Pranjalee Mishra

Pranjalee Mishra received a BE degree in electronics and telecommunication from Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Engineering and Technology, Bhilai, CG, India in 2013. She obtained an MTech degree in digital communication from SCOPE College of Engineering and Technology, Bhopal, MP, India in 2017, she is currently pursuing her PhD degree from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India. Her areas of interest include antenna design, metamaterials, wideband antenna, and multiband antenna millimeter-wave communication. She is also guiding undergraduate students.

K. D. Kulat

K D Kulat is currently working as a professor in the department electronics and telecommunication engineering, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India. He has 30 years of teaching experience. He obtained PhD from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, India. He has supervised 29 doctoral dissertations. He has published more than 120 journal and conference papers in national and international journals and conferences. His research interests are wireless communication, devices and circuits, antenna design, MIMO, multiband antenna, and metamaterial. Email: [email protected]