Dielectric resonator based MIMO antenna system enabling millimetre-wave mobile devices

• Published in: IET microwaves, antennas & propagation Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 287 - 293
• Main Authors: Sharawi, Mohammad S, Podilchak, Symon K, Hussain, Mohamed T, Antar, Yahia M.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 29.01.2017
• Subjects: 5G communications; 5G mobile communication; Antenna arrays; antenna feeds; antenna radiation patterns; Antennas; bandwidth 1 GHz; beam tilting; Beams (radiation); cDRA elements; cylindrical DR antenna elements; dielectric resonator antennas; Dielectrics; frequency 30 GHz; linear antenna arrays; linear arrays; Microwave antennas; millimetre wave antenna arrays; millimetre‐wave dielectric resonator‐based MIMO antenna system; MIMO (control systems); MIMO communication; multiple‐input–multiple‐output antenna system; passive microstrip‐based feed network; Propagation; Resonators; two‐layer substrate; two-layer substrate; 5G mobile communication; linear arrays; bandwidth 1 GHz; multiple-input–multiple-output antenna system; 5G communications; frequency 30 GHz; beam tilting; antenna radiation patterns; cylindrical DR antenna elements; cDRA elements; millimetre wave antenna arrays; dielectric resonator antennas; antenna feeds; millimetre-wave dielectric resonator-based MIMO antenna system; passive microstrip-based feed network; MIMO communication; linear antenna arrays
• ISSN: 1751-8725; 1751-8733; 1751-8733
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-map.2016.0457

In this study, a millimetre-wave dielectric resonator (DR)-based multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system based on two linear arrays is presented. Each array that represents a single MIMO antenna consists of four cylindrical DR antenna (cDRA) elements operating at 30 GHz with a bandwidth of at least 1 GHz. Each array is designed with a fixed beam direction which is tilted to provide low field correlation. A passive microstrip-based feed network was designed to achieve this beam tilting enabling suitable magnitude and phase excitation of the individual cDRAs for radiation. The complete antenna system was designed on a two-layer substrate occupying 48 mm × 21 mm. Excellent field correlation values were measured (below 0.002) across the band of operation while peak gains were >7 dBi. High radiation efficiency is obtained. The proposed design approach for beam tilting, which enables MIMO operation, may also be useful for other compact implementations to support 5G communications.