Design of Novel UWB 4-element MIMO Microstrip Patch Antenna for Sub-6 GHz 5G Applications

The aim of this paper is the development of a 2×2 MIMO antenna that is capable of covering the whole UWB spectrum of 3.1 - 10.6 GHz. The design starts by implementing a single element of Printed Circular Disc Monopole (PCDM) antenna on a 1.6 mm thick FR-4 substrate having a relative permittivity of 4.4. A parametric analysis, as well as slots insertion, are performed based on “Finite Difference Time Domain Analysis (FDTD)” to improve the structure performance related to the operating bandwidth. Concerning the MIMO antenna structure, a four-element configuration is investigated. Over the intended frequency band, the isolation is greater than 15 dB. The “Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC)”, “Diversity Gain (DG)”, and “Channel Capacity Loss (CCL)” have all been shown to improve diversity performance and are determined to be within acceptable limits. A network analyzer is used to measure the antenna structure once it is constructed. In terms of scattering characteristics and spectral efficiency, the measured and simulated are in good agreement.