Dual-Polarized Magneto-Electric Dipole for 5G 28-GHz Phased Array Applications

Abstract

A low-profile dual-polarized magneto electric (ME) dipole antenna configuration implemented on standard multilayer PCB technology is here reported. The proposed radiator is conceived for dual-polarized 28 GHz 5G phased array applications. Wideband operation is achieved by applying several low-frequency techniques which allow to fulfil the 5G requirements without increasing the dielectric core thickness. A 4 × 8 ME-dipole phased array is then designed, fabricated, and tested. The measured beam scanning range without the blindness in the E-plane is ±55° for the vertical polarization. Stable radiation patterns and a gain of up to 22 dBi are also achieved. The thickness of the antenna layers is significantly lower with respect to the other configurations in the literature while providing similar performance. Having reduced the antenna core thickness results in a structurally balanced stack-up, lighter and easier to fabricate with high yield. In addition, high isolation between the elements allows superior beam scanning performances. The proposed design is well suited to both packaging technologies and standard PCB processes and is an attractive candidate for the millimeter-wave applications in the fifth generation (5G) mobile systems.INDEX TERMS 5G mobile communication, Dipole antennas, Phased arrays, Steerable antennas.