Mutual Coupling Reduction of 1×2 Microstrip Array Antenna Using MMAS-SSR

Abstract

The issue that often arises and that is recently discussed in the development of antenna array is mutual coupling between elements. Elements of an antenna array are designed to be very close to one another in order to achieve a higher gain. However, such design could lead to an emerging problem of mutual coupling, resulting in a decreased efficiency and a change in beam pattern, mainly when using microstrip antenna. In order to reduce the mutual coupling effect, elements of the antenna are isolated using metamaterial absorber split square resonator structure (MMAS-SSR). In the experiments performed, two simple linear array microstrip antennas have been configured in a linear array, and a single line of metamaterial absorber structure was placed between them as an isolator. The observation has been conducted over experiments with and without the line of metamaterial absorber structure. The simulation and the measurement results obtained show that there is a mutual coupling reduction of 8 and 6 dB, respectively.