Antenna Characteristics Research Articles

Compact Ultra-Wideband MIMO Antenna for 5G Communication Systems

Ultra-wideband (UWB) technology is highly respected in modern communication systems because it can enable high-speed, high-data-rate communication over short distances. It is still difficult to achieve optimal multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) performance in real-world multipath settings, even with breakthroughs in traditional antenna designs. UWB-MIMO antenna solutions have been created and simulated in order to address this problem and fulfill present demands. Nevertheless, maintaining high antenna efficiency and the requirement for antenna designs tailored to a particular bandwidth are two of the difficulties UWB systems must overcome. Recently, a variety of optimization strategies have been employed to obtain high gain and UWB performance by fine-tuning antenna characteristics. The major obstacles are resolved by the optimization process, including the time and computational resource requirements. The difficulty is further compounded by the intricacy of accurately modifying antenna settings to maximize gain. A multi-objective advancement for the design and improvement of the reduced UWB-MIMO test radio wire for 5G was offered as a solution to these problems. In order to attain the UWB feature, we first aim to use a single elliptical-square form antenna that operates from 3.4 to 70 GHz with isolation larger than 29.54 dB. Furthermore, we optimize the impedance bandwidth by tuning the parameters of the structural dimensions using the improved proportional topology optimization (IPTO) technique. Additionally, we present the orthogonal correction using the binarized convolutional neural network (BCNN).

Frequency-reconfigurable liquid crystal metasurface array

In this paper, a frequency-reconfigurable metasurface (MS) circularly polarized antenna array (CPAA) based on liquid crystal (LC) is presented. The antenna features a multilayer structure. Design of the MS circularly polarized antenna unit using the characteristic mode analysis method, the combination of MS structure, temperature-controlled LC, and sequential feed network not only enhances the impedance bandwidth (IBW), axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW), and gain. By adjusting the temperature to change the relative dielectric constant of the LC, further frequency reconfigurability of the CPAA is achieved. Under different temperature control settings, the effective IBW and ARBW of the antenna can be shifted from 39.0% (4.51–6.70 GHz) to 40.3% (4.61–6.94 GHz), while the peak gain moves from 11.59 dBi at 5.31 GHz to 11.71 dBi at 5.41 GHz. The results demonstrate that the proposed MS CPAA offers advantages of wide bandwidth, high gain, low profile, and frequency reconfigurability.

An additively manufactured dual circularly polarized open‐ended waveguide antenna using outer ridges with wideband characteristic

AbstractThis paper presents a novel additively manufactured wideband dual circularly polarized (CP) open‐ended waveguide (OEW) antenna, which adopts a pair of wedge‐shaped outer ridges acting as a circular polarizer. Study found that compared to the con‐ ventional designs that employ internal polarization converting structures, such outer ridges are capable of achieving wider axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW) and better reflection coefficients. On each ridge, two rectangular slots are designed to suppress the higher order mode caused by the increased waveguide size, and further expanding the ARBW. The proposed antenna is fed by two differential ports. By switching the feeding ports, the CP states can be altered to either right‐handed CP (RHCP) or left‐handed CP (LHCP). In terms of configuration, the proposed antenna has a simple one‐piece structure and is fabricated by using dielec‐ tric 3‐D printing technology. To form the waveguide walls, its partial surfaces are coated by copper films through electroplat‐ ing. The proposed antenna features easy fabrication and light weight. Experimental results show that the proposed antenna has an impedance bandwidth of larger than 47.6% (8–13 GHz) with reflection coefficients lower than −15 dB, while the 3‐dB ARBW is 37.7% from 8.4 to 12.3 GHz.

Partial Near-Field Antenna Characterization

Partial Near-Field Antenna Characterization

자계 이방성 축 방향에 따른 안테나 공진 주파수 특성

The main theme of the 2024 Mobile World Congress (MWC), held annually in Barcelona, Spain, is ‘5G and Beyond.’ Extensive research and activity focus on 6G (IMT-2030) technology, which is expected to become the core infrastructure of the mobile industry by 2030, representing the future of wireless communications. This necessitates the support of more wireless frequency bands for terminals to be compatible with the upcoming Beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G technologies. The antenna mounting space for B5G wireless communication, with various form factors for hardware, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and smart rings, is limited, as these devices become increasingly slimmer and lighter. Several methods have been studied to reduce antenna size while maintaining performance in a limited space. Representative examples include integrated-structure, metamaterial, and magnetodielectric antennas. In this study, it is analyzed for the effect of the resonance frequency characteristics of antennas based on the arrangement direction of the anisotropic material in the limited antenna mounting space of communication terminals. Aiming to reduce antenna size in the B5G era, it is proposed for the necessity of optimal design that focuses on the axial direction of the magneto-dielectric materials when designing antennas using anisotropic materials for antenna miniaturization.

Three-Dimensional Probe Mispositioning Errors Compensation: A Feasibility Study in the Non-Redundant Helicoidal Near to Far-Field Transformation Case

A feasibility study on the compensation of 3D mispositioning errors of the probe occurring in the characterization of a long antenna, via a non-redundant (NR) near to far-field (NTFF) transformation with helicoidal scan, is conducted in this article. Such types of errors can result from imperfections in the rail driving the linear motion of the probe and from an imprecise synchronization of the linear and rotational movements of the probe and the antenna when drawing the scan helix. To correct them, an approach, which proceeds through two steps, is proposed. The former step uses a technique called cylindo rical wave (CW) correction for compensating the phase of the near-field (NF) samples, which, owing to the rail imperfections, result in not being acquired over the measurement cylinder surface. The latter exploits an iterative scheme to restore the samples at the sampling points required by the adopted NR representation along the scan helix from those obtained by applying the CW correction technique and impaired by 2D mispositioning errors. The so compensated NF samples are then effectively recovered via a 2D optimal sampling interpolation (OSI) scheme to accurately obtain the input data required to carry out the standard cylindrical NTFF transformation. The OSI representation is determined here by assuming a long antenna under test as enclosed in a prolate ellipsoid or cylinder ending into two hemispheres (cigar) in order to make, depending on the particular geometry of the considered antenna, the representation effectively non-redundant. The reported numerical simulation results show the capability of the proposed approach to compensate even severe 3D mispositioning errors, thus enabling its usage in a real measurement scenario.

Numerical Investigation on the Thermal Characteristics of Lightweight Metal Mesh-Based Reflector Antenna with Various Knitting Conditions

Proper prediction of the temperature variation in a metallic wire mesh for spaceborne large deployable reflector antennas is essential for evaluating the dimensional stability of the antenna under extreme on-orbit thermal environments. However, predicting the temperature of a mesh is difficult because of its complex yarn configuration. To analyze the thermal behavior of the spaceborne mesh antenna reflector, the thermal optical characteristics with various knitting methods of the metallic mesh were obtained experimentally in this study. Subsequently, to analyze the thermal sensitivity of the reflector based on its optical properties, an on-orbit thermal analysis of the mesh reflector was performed based on measurements of the mesh specimen. We also investigated the influence of deployable solar panels on the thermal gradient of the reflector.

Synthesis and characterization of (Ba2Zn2Fe12O22)1−x(NiFe2O4)x ferrite composites for antenna applications

A series of (Ba2Zn2Fe12O22)1−x(NiFe2O4)x ferrites (x = 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0) were successfully synthesized by one-pot coprecipitation route. XRD analysis reveals the formation of Ba2Zn2Fe12O22 and NiFe2O4 composite after sintering calcined precursor powder at 1200 °C/4 h. Densification behaviour was evaluated by Archimedes’ principle. Field emission scanning electron microscopy was used to study morphological characteristics. Room temperature magnetization behaviour was evaluated using a vibrating sample magnetometer. In composite, it was observed that the saturation magnetization (Ms) and coercivity (Hc) increased with increasing NiF content. With the increase of NiF in the composite, the permittivity (ε) decreased from 28.6 (for x = 0.2) to 13.6 (for x = 0.8) with the corresponding decrease in dielectric loss (tanδε) at 100 MHz. The permeability (μ) also decreased from 21.3 (x = 0.2) to 17.9 (x = 0.8) with the associated decrease of the magnetic losses (tanδμ) at 100 MHz. Miniaturization factor (n) of 19.2 and characteristic impedance of 1.1 were obtained for x = 0.4 composition at 100 MHz along with low dielectric loss factor (tan δε/ε) and magnetic loss factor (tan δµ/µ). The ferrite resonator antenna was fabricated using FR4 as substrate and ferrite pellet as magneto-dielectric resonator material. The antenna characteristics parameters reflection loss S (1,1) and voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) were measured by vector network analyser (VNA).

Microstrip dielectric patch antenna fabrication and characterization using ultra low permittivity and low temperature Co-fired LiAlSiO4 ceramics

LiBxAl1-xSiO4 (x = 0.02–0.1) ceramics were prepared by conventional solid-state method with a reduction in sintering temperature by up to 250–475 °C. The relative permittivity was significantly decreased by εr = 3.3–3.7, one of the lowest ever reported values among crystalline ceramics, while maintaining exceptional quality factors (Q×f = 25,000–28,000 GHz) and low temperature coefficients of resonance frequency (τf = −23 ∼ −16 ppm/°C). Furthermore, these LiBxAl1-xSiO4 ceramics possess a low density (∼2.3 g/cm3), making them highly promising for lightweight microwave devices. The potential application of LiB0.1Al0.9SiO4 ceramics in LTCC was assessed based on their ability to achieve low densification temperature and exhibit chemical compatibility with silver electrodes. A microstrip patch antenna with an operating frequency of 6.68 GHz, featuring high efficiency (91.88 %) and wide bandwidth (400 MHz), has been designed and fabricated from LiB0.1Al0.9SiO4 ceramics substrate, which provides a good application prospect for advanced wireless systems. The development of these ultra-low permittivity dielectric ceramics opens new potential to revolutionize the field of microwave dielectric ceramics.

Rapid terahertz beam profiling and antenna characterization with phase-shifting holography

In this paper we investigate the application of phase-shifting digital holography for the real-time characterization of electromagnetic sources in the THz frequency range. We use an off-the-shelf terahertz detector array composed of 64×64\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$64 \ imes 64$$\\end{document} power-sensitive pixels, over an area of 96mm×96mm\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$96\\,\\hbox {mm} \ imes 96\\,\\hbox {mm}$$\\end{document}, to record intensity interferograms cast between the coherent radiation emitted from a reference source and an unknown antenna under test. This approach parallelizes the acquisition process with respect to conventional near-field point scanning methods, reducing the measurement time by orders of magnitude. In our system, the measurement time is limited only by the refresh rate of the detector array and the speed of a delay line stage that is used to phase-shift the reference wave. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, we map the 2D near-field distribution and estimate the far-field radiation pattern emitted by a plano-convex PTFE spherical lens antenna illuminated by a diagonal horn at 290 GHz frequency with ∼1Hz\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\sim \\,1\\,\\hbox {Hz}$$\\end{document} refresh rate.

Conformal cylindrical microstrip loop radiator input impedance calculation

Problem statement. Antennas that fully or partially repeat the shape of the object on which they are placed are called conformal. The main areas of application of conformal antennas are aviation, rocketry, and vehicles. Despite the presence of a large number of publications devoted to conformal antennas in our country and abroad, issues related to the formation of the radiation characteristics of conformal microstrip antennas, as well as the influence of the overall dimensions and geometry of the emitter on the radiation characteristics, have still not been sufficiently studied. Goal. The purpose of this work was to obtain an approximate formula for calculating the input impedance of a conformal cylindrical microstrip loop radiator. Results. In this article, an integral equation is obtained for the unknown current density distribution function on the surface of a conformal cylindrical microstrip loop radiator; as a result of its solution, an approximate formula for this function is obtained. An approximate formula for calculating the input impedance is obtained. The dependences of the input impedance of a conformal cylindrical microstrip loop radiator on its length normalized to the wavelength are calculated. Practical significance. The proposed method for calculating the input impedance of a conformal cylindrical microstrip loop radiator makes it possible to effectively calculate and study the dependence of the input impedance on the geometric dimensions of the emitter, as well as the dimensions and electrodynamic parameters of the substrate. This technique can be generalized to emitters located on substrates made of other materials, for example, chiral metamaterials.

Broadband magnetoelectric antenna driven by multiple high-overtone bulk acoustic wave modes

High-overtone bulk acoustic waves driven magnetoelectric (ME) antennas operate in the acoustic resonant frequency range, exhibiting continuous narrowband electromagnetic radiation. ME antennas based on cooperative excitation of multiple high-overtone bulk acoustic waves are expected to achieve broadband performance and are worthy of in-depth exploration. High-overtone bulk acoustic resonator (HBAR) antennas with polished and rough acoustic reflection interfaces were fabricated and tested to investigate the influence mechanisms of acoustic modes in the HBAR on the radiation bandwidth, as well as the relationship between antenna impedance and radiation response. Far-field radiation characteristics indicate that the antenna with rough acoustic reflection interfaces featuring more high-overtone bulk acoustic wave modes suppress radiation dips of up to 5 dB at anti-resonant frequencies without sacrificing radiation gain. The radiation gain of the antenna was calculated using the gain-comparison method to be −35 dBi, with a −3 dB bandwidth of 120 MHz and a fractional bandwidth of up to 11.4%. Finally, a comparison of the radiation characteristics of the HBAR piezoelectric antenna without the magnetic film demonstrates that the broadband radiation of the HBAR ME antenna originates from dynamic magnetic flux driven by high-overtone bulk acoustic waves.

H-Shape Microstrip Patch Antenna: Design, Simulation, and Characterization

This paper presents the design, simulation, and characterization of an H-shape microstrip patch antenna intended for high-frequency applications. The proposed antenna is modeled using Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio, a powerful tool for simulating electromagnetic fields and optimizing antenna parameters. The H-shaped configuration is chosen to enhance the antenna's radiation characteristics, bandwidth, and gain, while minimizing size and surface wave effects. The design process involves parameter optimization, including substrate selection, patch dimensions, and feed point configuration, to achieve superior performance. Detailed simulation results are presented, demonstrating the antenna's return loss, VSWR, gain, and radiation pattern. The antenna operates efficiently with stable resonance, offering low return loss and high radiation efficiency. The simulation results confirm that the H-shape microstrip patch antenna is well-suited for various wireless communication systems, showing potential for integration in compact, high-performance devices. This paper serves as a step towards further optimization and practical implementation of H-shape microstrip antennas in advanced RF systems.

A Deep Learning Framework for Evaluating the Over-the-Air Performance of the Antenna in Mobile Terminals.

This study introduces RTEEMF (Real-Time Evaluation Electromagnetic Field)-PhoneAnts, a novel Deep Learning (DL) framework for the efficient evaluation of mobile phone antenna performance, addressing the time-consuming nature of traditional full-wave numerical simulations. The DL model, built on convolutional neural networks, uses the Near-field Electromagnetic Field (NEMF) distribution of a mobile phone antenna in free space to predict the Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP), Total Radiated Power (TRP), and Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) across various configurations. By converting antenna features and internal mobile phone components into near-field EMF distributions within a Huygens' box, the model simplifies its input. A dataset of 7000 mobile phone models was used for training and evaluation. The model's accuracy is validated using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test (WSR) for SAR and TRP, and the Feature Selection Validation Method (FSV) for EIRP. The proposed model achieves remarkable computational efficiency, approximately 2000-fold faster than full-wave simulations, and demonstrates generalization capabilities for different antenna types, various frequencies, and antenna positions. This makes it a valuable tool for practical research and development (R&D), offering a promising alternative to traditional electromagnetic field simulations. The study is publicly available on GitHub for further development and customization. Engineers can customize the model using their own datasets.

Sidelobes and sideband minimization in time-modulated array antenna based on chaotic exchange nonlinear dandelion optimization algorithm

Time-modulated array antenna (TMAA) is a new type of array antenna based on time modulation technology. By introducing "time" as the fourth dimensional design freedom into the design of conventional array antennas in three-dimensional space, the array antenna has time modulation characteristics, which better controls the radiation characteristics of the array antenna and achieves the best far-field radiation pattern synthesis. This paper designs a Time-modulated linear array (TMLA) with low sidelobe level (SLL) and low sideband level (SBL) based on the chaotic exchange nonlinear dandelion optimization (CENDO) algorithm. Three optimization methods are studied: firstly, determining the optimal on-time (τnn) for each array element; The second is to determine the optimal on-time (τnn) and optimal uniform array element spacing (d) for each array element; The third is to determine the optimal opening time (ton), closing time (toff), and optimal uniform array element spacing (d) for each array element. To achieve simultaneous reduction of sidelobe level and suppression of harmonic interference. The same array model contains different harmonic frequency radiation. In this article, we only considered two harmonic frequencies, namely the first sideband frequency and the second sideband frequency. Because the harmonic of other sideband frequencies has a very small impact on the radiation of the fundamental wave, it can be ignored. To demonstrate the stronger ability of the CENDO algorithm in optimizing Time-modulated array antennas, and in line with the principle of fairness and impartiality, this paper also simulates different Time-modulated array models and compares the results of the CENDO algorithm with other published literature. It is concluded that this study shows lower SLL and lower SBL in different models. This provides a more scientific and accurate explanation of the superiority of the CENDO algorithm compared to other algorithms in the field of antenna optimization in electromagnetics. At the same time, this also provides great research value and fundamental support for designing high-performance Time-modulated array antennas in subsequent engineering applications.

Study on the Conductivity Effect on the Characteristics of a Wideband Printed Dipole Antenna Implemented with Silver Nanoparticle Ink

This study examined a flexible composite wideband dipole antenna implemented with conductive silver nanoparticle ink having different conductivities. Two identical split ring resonators (SRRs) were designed to encompass each arm of a dipole element, and each dipole arm and its coupled SRR were printed on the top and bottom sides of a dielectric substrate. The overall dimensions of the compact antenna were 10 mm × 74.8 mm × 0.254 mm (0.053λo × 0.399λo × 0.0014λo at 1.6 GHz). The characteristics of the antenna with different conductivities were numerically investigated and experimentally confirmed. Our investigation aimed to ascertain the proposed antenna's response to different conductivity values and to determine the range of conductivity values that generates major changes in the antenna's performance characteristics in terms of impedance bandwidth, gain, and radiation efficiency. At conductivity values less than approximately 6.0 × 104 S/m, the number of generated resonances changed from three to two, and the antenna experienced a nearly 3-dB gain reduction when the conductivity approached 5.8 × 104 S/m.

A Miniaturized High-Gain Router Antenna Pair for 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz Frequency Bands

In this paper, we propose a printed circuit board (PCB)-based planar antenna pair, operating at 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequency bands, respectively, for dual-band routers. The antennas are both rectangular and consist of twisted radiating elements and microstrips etched on an FR4 dielectric substrate. Etching slots on the radiating elements and adjusting the serpentine microstrips influence surface current distribution and therefore effectively reduce antenna size and enhance antenna gain. The proposed antenna features a compact size compared to general router antennas and demonstrates high gain characteristics compared to dipole antennas. In the 2.3–2.5 GHz band, the simulated S11 of the 2.4 GHz antenna was lower than -10 dB, while the gain was 3.9 dBi at 2.4 GHz. In the 5.1–5.9 GHz band, the simulated S11 of the 5.0 GHz antenna was lower than -10 dB, and the gain was greater than 4.8 dBi. The proposed antenna has potential for application to router antennas.

Detection of breast tumor with a frequency selective surface loaded ultra-wide band antenna system

Breast tumors are a significant cause to the global death rate among women. However, the fatality rate can be lowered through early detection. This paper presents an ultra-wideband, modified patch antenna of a compact size that can be used for microwave-sensing biomedical applications in the detection of breast cancer. A partial ground plane and slots are implemented in a transformed patch antenna to enhance the impedance bandwidth. The antenna is backed by a uniform frequency selective surface of 5 × 5 unit cells to achieve the necessary antenna characteristics, specifically directivity and gain, for microwave detection applications. Through optimization and fabrication, the final design maintained (|S11|< −10 dB) over the entire frequency band of 11.6 GHz (3.1–14.7 GHz) and achieved an average gain of over 5 dBi. Other metrics, such as group delay and the fidelity factor in different setups, are also simulated to observe the expected performance in the required frequency range. Finally, based on simulation, a model is suggested that comprises various configurations of antenna arrays, including one Tx antenna and one to seven Rx antennas. Further, breast phantom with different tumor sizes and locations were used in the simulation. The simulation results successfully validated the detection of breast cancer cells. We believe these technologies can open possibilities in healthcare applications for identifying tumors.

A miniaturized dual wide‐band polarization reconfigurable antenna integrated with artificial magnetic conductor for next‐generation wireless applications

SummaryIn today's intricate wireless communication environment, ensuring system quality demands the use of a reliable and versatile antenna system. This research article introduces a polarization reconfigurable antenna integrated with a 4 × 4 Artificial Magnetic Conductor (AMC) surface. The AMC unit cell exhibits a triple‐band reflection phase response at 1.8GHz, 4.5GHz, and 5.5GHz, demonstrating double negative metamaterial behavior. The antenna features two distinct C‐shaped metal strips connected to two PIN diodes, enabling dynamic current distribution adjustment. Consequently, the proposed antenna offers three reconfigurable states, facilitating seamless switching between dual circular polarization (left and right‐hand circular polarization) and linear polarization. With a frequency coverage ranging from 1.29 to 2.52GHz and 3.59 to 6.15GHz, the antenna boasts a maximum axial ratio (AR) bandwidth of 31.96%. Additionally, it achieves a maximum peak gain of 5.5 dB and maintains front‐to‐back ratio (FBR) values exceeding 25 dB, while recording a minimum specific absorption rate (SAR) value of 0.1059 W/kg. The integration of the AMC surface ensures enhanced performance of the antenna. Experimental results from constructed prototypes closely align with simulation outcomes, validating the effectiveness of the proposed antenna. Consequently, this antenna holds significant promise for next‐generation wireless applications.

High-Speed Rail Multiple-Input–Multiple-Output Channel Model Based on Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface System

This paper presents a geometry-based stochastic model (GBSM) for a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) system tailored to high-speed rail environments, addressing energy leakage at space lattice points caused by the time-dependent reception direction and differing antenna array resolutions. Initially, this study explores the spatial domain feature map and spreading antenna lobe characteristics from various RIS array configurations to reshape the polarization distribution and facilitate a virtual antenna array. Subsequently, the time-dependent reception direction and position are derived by integrating the dynamics of train operations. Finally, the received signal is aligned with the polarization direction to assess the signal reception efficiency and finalize the model output. Research findings indicate that the number of RIS elements, spacing between RIS elements, and mobile relay (MR) movement characteristics significantly influence the performance of the system. Compared to existing models, the proposed model proficiently captures the effects of time-dependent receiver angle properties and RIS array configuration.