A Novel 2.4-GHz Low-Profile Smart MIMO Antenna with Reconfigurable Frequency-Selective Reflectors

Abstract

In this paper, a new low-profile smart multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna system is presented for WiFi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax applications. The proposed compact 2.4-GHz antenna system employs two beam-switching antenna cells for MIMO operation. Each antenna cell is composed of four reconfigurable frequency-selective reflectors (RFSRs) and a one-to-four switching feeding network. The RFSRs are constructed using a one-wavelength metal loop resonator, which functions as a radiating antenna or a wave reflector to reflect beams along a specific direction, as controlled by the switching network. The feeding switching network utilizes PIN diodes to adjust the phase and impedance required for changing the operational status of each RFSR. The overall dimensions of the antenna system, including the metallic ground, are 120 mm ´ 120 mm ´ 9.5 mm. Moreover, the measured operational bandwidth of the 2.4-GHz antenna is approximately 100 MHz, and the radiation efficiency of each directed beam is 40%–70%.

Keywords

• MIMO
• Antenna