Flexible MIMO Antennas for 5G Applications

Abstract

5G is emerging as a next-generation technology which enhances capacity, provides very low latency, very high data rates, and good quality of service. For any 5G device to operate successfully, design and development of antenna plays very important role. Antenna should be compact in size, cost effective and should cover the desired 5G band with enhanced bandwidth, gain, and negligible radiation losses. The shrinking size of the futuristic and next-generation wireless devices will need miniaturized and tightly assembled antennas without affecting the performance. With the number of antennas increased in the MIMO system it will be difficult to meet the space constraint of next-generation devices. Also, with the innovation and ever-increasing demand for flexible electronic devices, there will be a need to design flexible antennas for such devices. Flexible antennas are having tremendous applications in Gateways and Routers, Wireless Access Points, High-speed HD streaming, Handheld Devices, Highcapacity MIMO networks for Public Transportation. This paper explains the concept of flexible antennas, the various types of substrates used for antenna fabrication. It also covers the various types of flexible MIMO antennas for 5G applications.

Recent Advances of 5G Technology Based on Patch Antenna: A Literature Review

“…In order to make an antenna 5G compatible, considerations should be made on both the system and the antenna itself for optimum performance. Among the factors that must be taken into account by such antennas include wider network coverage, reduced latency time, support for massive devices connection, faster data rates, small size in terms of dimensions and weight which can easily fit into any available space or even carried around, cost efficiency in terms of production or installation expenses incurred during manufacture stage as well as operational cost savings realized over its lifetime span among others like bandwidths having higher gains thus minimum radiation losses while using flexible materials for shrinking them down more so when putting together with other parts using such elements like metals sheets; these should have been clad with light weight insulating material around it [25] [26]. Antennas should also meet dynamic technological advances, become smaller sizes suitable for next generation equipment and work with Gateways/Routers/Wireless Access Points (WAPs)/ HD streaming capable devices like smartphones /tablets/laptops/netbooks etc., Handheld Devices (HHDs) used in various activities such as gaming consoles where players need wide range mobility over large geographical areas while connected wirelessly through MIMO enabled Public Transportation networks for example buses/taxis/trains/planes/boats/submarines etc.. For this reason alone at high frequencies bands there is need of designing antennas having wider impedance bandwidths coupled with high gains because according to path loss calculation models; it shows that most signals will not be able reach their intended destinations unless they are reflected back towards them from another point on earth surface which may have objects blocking direct line sight between source destination hence causing multi-path fading effect resulting into signal degradations experienced at receiver end points so far encountered along wave front propagation past obstacles.…”

6G-Enabled Smart Agriculture: A Review and Prospect

“…Kulkarni et al [113] investigated a flexible four-port, four-element interconnected MIMO antenna that can be used for 5G and an X-band of below 6 GHz. Flexible antennas in 5G were explored in-depth in [114]. Kulkarni et al [115] designed a four-port DGS MIMO antenna with very high gain for use in wireless industrial applications.…”