A Comparative Review of Reconfigurable and High‐Performance SWB‐MIMO Antennas for Next‐Generation Wireless Systems

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative review of high‐performance super‐wideband multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna architectures for next‐generation wireless communication systems. Rather than conducting an extensive survey of all possible architectures, this study takes a case‐study approach, specifically addressing two unique and contrasting MIMO antenna architectures: the Hexa‐Barrier Super‐Wideband (HBSWB) MIMO antenna and the Phase Helix Fractal Array (PHFA) MIMO antenna. The reason for the selection of these architectures is because they represent two different approaches toward the design of super wideband MIMO antennas. In specific, the HBSWB MIMO antenna is an interference mitigation technique in the frequency domain which makes use of multi‐notch filters, electromagnetic band gap structures, and LC networks to achieve high isolation and coexistence in interference‐rich environments. On the other hand, the PHFA antenna is a paradigm based on spatial multiplexing principles that use fractals, artificial magnetic conductor ground planes, and orbital angular momentum modes to increase spectral efficiency and system capacity. This review presents a comparative analysis of these architectures in terms of bandwidth, isolation, gain, and efficiency to identify the most important design limitations and challenges that future wireless communication systems must address. Choosing these two antennas will enable a comparative analysis of two design philosophies proposed to address key challenges in future wireless communication systems.