A Novel Optically Transparent UWB Antenna for Automotive MIMO Communications

A novel optically transparent multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna for automotive applications is presented in this article. The MIMO antenna consists of a two-semicircular slot-loaded monopole with a staircase ground structure. It is developed on a glass substrate with dimension 29×50 mm
²
. The fluorine-doped tin oxide and indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) are used as the conductive layers on the bottom and top of the substrate with sheet resistance 4 Ω/sq and 10 Ω/sq, respectively. The fabricated antenna has an optical transmittance greater than 72%; hence, it can be placed on the glass surface of the automotive. The measured results show that the proposed antenna exhibits a good impedance matching over a frequency of 2.4-11 GHz with isolation greater than 20 dB and a peak realized gain of 2 dBi, which is suitable for ultrawideband (UWB) automotive applications.