This paper provides a systematic review of the mutual coupling in multiple-input multipleoutput (MIMO) systems, including effects on performances of MIMO systems and various decoupling techniques. The mutual coupling changes the antenna characteristics in an array and, therefore, degrades the system performance of the MIMO system and causes spectral regrowth. Although the system performance can be partially improved by calibrating out the mutual coupling in the digital domain, it is more effective to use decoupling techniques (from the antenna point) to overcome the mutual coupling effects. Some popular decoupling techniques for MIMO systems (especially for massive MIMO base station antennas) are also presented.

The paper deals with reverberation chambers for over-the-air (OTA) testing of wireless devices for use in multipath. We present a formulation of the S-parameters of a reverberation chamber in terms of the free space S-parameters of the antennas, and the channel matrix in the way this is known from propagation literature. Thereby the physical relations between the chamber and real-life multipath environments are more easily explained. Thereafter we use the formulation to determine the uncertainty by which efficiency-related quantities can be measured in reverberation chamber. The final expression shows that the uncertainty is predominantly determined by the Rician K-factor in the reverberation chamber rather than by the number of excited modes, assumed by previous literature. We introduce an average Rician K-factor that is conveniently expressed in terms of the direct coupling between the transmitting and receiving antennas (corresponding to a line-of-sight contribution) and Hill's transmission formula (corresponding to a multipath or non-line-of-sight contribution). The uncertainty is expressed in terms of this average K-factor and geometrical mode stirring parameters, showing strong reduction by platform and polarization stirring. Finally the formulations are verified by measurements, and the new understanding of uncertainty is used to upgrade an existing reverberation chamber to better uncertainty.

This paper proposes a dual-band eight-antenna array for multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) applications in 5G mobile terminals. The designed MIMO antenna array comprises eight L-shaped slot antennas based on stepped impedance resonators (SIRs). The required dual-resonance can be obtained by adjusting the impedance ratio of the SIR, and good impedance matching can be ensured for each antenna element by tuning the position of the microstrip feed line. The experimental results show that a measured return loss of higher than 10 dB and a measured inter-element isolation of greater than 11.2 dB have been obtained for each antenna element with a simulated total efficiency of larger than 51% across the long term evolution (LTE) band 42 (3400–3600 MHz) and LTE band 46 (5150–5925 MHz). In addition, the measured envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) is lower than 0.1 between arbitrary two antenna elements and the proposed MIMO antenna array realizes a simulated channel capacity of higher than 36.9 bps/Hz within both operation bands. Furthermore, the MIMO antenna array can maintain acceptable radiation and MIMO performance in the presence of specific anthropomorphic mannequin (SAM) head and human hands.

Effective degree of freedom (EDOF) of a multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) system represents its equivalent number of independent single-input–single-output (SISO) systems, which directly characterizes the communication performance. Traditional EDOF only considers single polarization, where the full polarized components degrade into two independent transverse components under the far-field approximation. However, the traditional model is not applicable to complex scenarios especially for the near-field region. Based on an electromagnetic (EM) channel model built from the dyadic Green’s function, we first calculate the EM EDOF to estimate the performance of an arbitrary MIMO system with full polarizations in free space. Then, we clarify the relations between the limit of EDOF and the optimal number of sources/receivers. Finally, potential benefits of near-field MIMO communications are demonstrated with the EM EDOF, in which the contribution of the longitudinally polarized source is taken into account. This letter establishes a fundamental EM framework for MIMO wireless communications.

This paper introduces a planar switchable 3-D-coverage phased array for 28-GHz mobile terminal applications. In order to realize 3-D-coverage beam scan with a simple planar array, chassis surface waves are efficiently excited and controlled by three identical slot subarrays. Three subarrays switch their beams to three distinct regions. Each subarray works as a phased array to steer the beam within each region. Large coverage efficiency is achieved. (e.g., 80% of the space sphere has the realized gain of over 8 dBi.) The proposed antenna covers a bandwidth of over 2 GHz in the band of 28 GHz. User effects on the switchable array are also studied in both data mode and talk mode (voice) at 28 GHz. In talk mode, good directivity and beam switching can be realized by placing the switchable array at the top of the chassis (close to the index finger). And the user shadowing can be significantly reduced by placing it at the bottom of the chassis (close to the palm). In data mode, the switchable array, mounted at the top, achieves less body loss and larger coverage than at the bottom. The proposed antenna is fabricated and measured. The array at the top in talk mode is measured with a real human. The measurements align well with simulations.

This letter finds the relation between different parameters that characterize the reverberation chamber as a channel emulator for over-the-air (OTA) testing of wireless devices and components. It is shown experimentally for the first time that the coherence bandwidth is proportional to the average mode bandwidth of the chamber. Both coherence bandwidth and average mode bandwidth increase when the chamber is loaded with absorbing objects, and thereby, the reverberation chamber can be controlled to emulate many different real-life environments. The relationship between RMS delay spread and coherence bandwidth are found from the measured channel response and are equal to the theoretical relation for isotropic multipath environments, being within previously published fundamental limits.