A Metamaterial-Based Compact MIMO Antenna Array Incorporating Hilbert Fractal Design for Enhanced 5G Wireless Communication Networks

Abstract

A novel compact antenna array design, tailored for 5G applications, is introduced in this paper. The proposed antenna operates in the sub-6GHz frequency range, ensuring optimal wave propagation characteristics in local areas. To achieve this, a Hilbert fractal patch-based design is employed. The antenna is developed as a two-element array, catering to Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) communication systems. The overall size of the antenna array is reduced by minimizing the spacing between the antenna elements, which is achieved through the integration of Metamaterial (MTM) Minkowski inclusions as defects on the back panel. The antenna exhibits a gain greater than 4.7dBi within the targeted frequency band, with a maximum coupling of -20dB. Two primary frequency bands, centered around 3.5 GHz and 5.5 GHz, are demonstrated by the antenna array. The proposed design is fabricated and subsequently subjected to experimental testing. The measured results exhibit excellent agreement with their corresponding simulation outcomes, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed antenna design.