Isolation Enhancement of Closely Spaced MIMO
System Using Inverted Fork Shaped Decoupling
Structure
Jogesh Chandra Dash1, Nagalakshmaiah Kalva2, Shilpa Kharche3, Jayanta Mukherjee4
1,2,4
Electrical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai-400076, Maharashtra, India
3
Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering Department, Terna Engineering College, Nerul, Mumbai-400706,
Maharashtra, India
(email: jcdash92@gmail.com1, lakshmi7498@gmail.com2, shilpaukharche@gmail.com3, jayanta@ee.iitb.ac.in4)
Abstract - A two element closely spaced microstrip MIMO
antenna with improved isolation characteristics is proposed. An
inverted fork-shaped decoupling (IFSD) structure is placed
between two closely spaced radiating elements, having ૙Ǥ ૙૜ࣅ૙
edge-to-edge spacing. Further, a rectangular slot is designed on
each radiating element to fill the null in the antenna broadside
radiation pattern. The isolation (S21 and S12) of more than 20 dB
at 5.5 GHz is achieved using the proposed technique. Antenna
elements provide a very good impedance matching (S11< -15 dB)
at 5.5 GHz. Implementation of IFSD structure and slot provide
enhanced isolation of 65.39% compared to MIMO system
without proposed technique. The proposed MIMO antenna
structure having effective dimensions of ૙Ǥ ૡ૟ࣅ૙ ൈ ૙Ǥ ૟૝ࣅ૙ is
simple to design and low in cost. The total-active-reflection-
coefficient (TARC) and envelope-correlation-coefficient (ECC)
of the antenna are below 0.3 and 0.005 respectively. The
proposed structure is fabricated and measured.
Index Terms - MIMO, Decoupling Structure,
Mutual Coupling, Isolation
I. INTRODUCTION
Reliability and throughput of the next-generation wireless
communication is highly dependent upon the multiple input
multiple output (MIMO) technology. MIMO antenna
performance depends on the element spacing and geometry,
aperture area and number of radiating elements and radiation
pattern of antenna element. An inherent performance measure
of the MIMO antenna systems is the mutual coupling (MC),
which depends on the position and orientation of one antenna
relative to the adjacent antenna element.
MC degrades the antenna efficiency [1], affects the output
signal-to-interference noise ratio [2] and the convergence of
array signal processing algorithm [3] as well as affects the
envelope-correlation-coefficient (ECC) and MIMO system
capacity [3]. Various MC reduction techniques are proposed
in the literature, such as the use of defected ground structure
(DGS), complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR),
neutralization lines, parasitic or slot elements,
electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structures, decoupling
network. In [4], the MC of less than -20 dB is achieved using
a wideband DSG between the two antenna elements separated
by ͲǤʹͶߣ଴ . Similarly, [5] describes the isolation improvement
of 7dB by using square ring DGS. In [6], an asymmetrical co-
planar strip wall is incorporated between two antenna
elements to suppress MC. The wall is placed vertically
between two antennas and make the overall system bulky.
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Isolation improvement using a CSRR structure placed
between two antenna elements is presented in [7]. However,
the element spacing between the elements is ͲǤ͵͹ߣ଴ . MC
reduction using multiple Z – shaped EBG structures is
presented in [8], having large antenna to antenna spacing of
ͲǤͶߣ଴ . Similarly, isolation improvement using U shape
microstrip line, meander line structure and EBG structure is
presented in [9], [10] and [11] respectively. A more detailed
study on MC is presented in [12].
In this paper, a two-port MIMO antenna system is designed
having ͲǤͲ͵ߣ଴ closed microstrip antenna element spacing is
proposed. Port isolation and field coupling are addressed
using an inverted fork-shaped decoupling (IFSD) structure
and slot on the radiating element. The structure is cost-
effective and simplified solution to reduce MC. The closely
spaced microstrip antenna elements of proposed MIMO
antenna resonate at 5.5 GHz frequency targeting the sub-6
GHz unlicensed LTE band, LTE band 46 (5.15-5.92 GHz),
for 5G M-MIMO [13]. Mutual coupling value less than -20
dB is achieved with ECC less than 0.005. The proposed
structure is of size ͲǤͺ͸ߣ଴ ൈ ͲǤ͸Ͷߣ଴ .
II. MIMO ANTENNA DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
Fig. 1 shows the schematic of the proposed two port MIMO
antenna system using microstrip radiating elements. The
antenna is designed on an RTD5880 substrate having ɂ୰ ൌ
ʹǤʹ, –ƒ ߜ ൌ ͲǤͲͲͲͻ and 1.57 mm thickness. The overall
substrate dimension is ͲǤͺ͸ߣ଴ ൈ ͲǤ͸Ͷߣ଴ ሺ‫ ݔ‬ൈ ‫ݕ‬ሻ. The
complete design is simulated using CST MWS full-wave EM
simulator. The optimized design parameters are provided in
Fig. 1.
Fig. 2 depicts the design stages in the evolution of the
proposed MIMO antenna system. In stage 1, two closely
spaced, 1.8mm (ͲǤͲ͵ߣ଴ ) edge-to-edge separation, radiating
elements are designed at 5.5 GHz based on the microstrip
antenna design equations. A quarter wavelength feed line is
used to feed the radiating elements. The comparison of E field
distribution, S parameters and radiation patterns of the stages
of evolution is shown in Fig 2, 3 and 4 respectively. The
radiation pattern of stage 1 shows the null near to broadside
direction. In stage 2, the IFSD structure is introduced between
the two radiating elements to enhance the port-to-port
isolation. The IFSD structure is an open stub transmission
line coupled to the antenna feed line. The field coupled to
0
antenna element at port 2 is reduced due to the resonant IFSD 0 330 30
structure. The IFSD structure helps in achieving improved -5
-10
mutual coupling of less than -16 dB as well as better -15 300 60
stage 1
impedance matching over the operating band (5.45 – 5.55 -20
stage 2
GHz), as shown in Fig. 3. Also, the null in the radiation -25
-30 stage 3
pattern in broadside direction is corrected due to the IFSD -35 270 90
structure. A rectangular slot of dimensions ͲǤͲͳͺ͵ߣ଴ ൈ -30
-25
ͲǤʹͳͺߣ଴ is introduced on each radiating element to further -20
improve the mutual coupling and pattern null. Mutual -15 240 120
coupling less than -20 dB at 5.5 GHz and further -10
-5
improvement in radiation pattern are achieved at stage 3, as 0 210 150
shown in Fig. 3 and 4 respectively. The S21 parameter for 180
stage 1 and stage 3 at operating frequency is -7.26 dB and -
Fig. 4 H plane pattern variation of three stages of antenna design
20.98 dB respectively which shows 65.39%improvement in
isolation.
III. MIMO ANTENNA MEASUREMENT AND P ERFORMANCE
EVALUATION
The proposed MIMO system is fabricated and
characterized. Front and back view of the fabricated MIMO
system is shown in Fig. 5. The measurements are conducted
using the Agilent Field Fox-N9918A VNA. Simulated and
measured scattering parameters are shown in Fig. 6. The
measured results are well suited to the simulation. Measured
S11 (S22) and S21 (S12) of each MIMO element are less than -
14 dB and -22 dB respectively showing good impedance
matching and isolation at 5.5 GHz operating band. Fig. 7
shows, simulated and measured normalized radiation patterns
Fig. 1 Schematic of proposed two element microstrip MIMO antenna system at antenna 1 with antenna 2 terminated in matched impedance
using IFSD and slot structure (left: antenna 1 , right: antenna 2) and vice versa. The simulated and measured TARC parameter
(lg = 35.33, wg = 47.22, w = 18, l = 17.43, l1 = 11.93, w1 = 1, l2 =8.2, w2 = is shown in Fig. 8. The TARC value, which describes antenna
1.1, l3 = 9.91, w3 = 0.46, l4 = 3.16, w4 = 1, l5 = 18.85) : units are in mm
to antenna coupling and random signal combination [14], is
below 0.3. The computed ECC based on both S-parameter

(a) (b) (c) (a) (b)

Fig. 2 Schematic and corresponding E-field distribution of design stage
(a)1 (b) 2 (c) 3 Fig. 5 (a) front view and (b) back view of the fabricated MIMO system

-4 0
-6
-8 -5
S - parameter (dB)

S-parameter (dB)

sim. S11
-10 sim. S12
S11 -10 sim. S21
1ststage S21
-12 2ndstage sim. S22
3rdstage S11 meas.
-14 -15 S12 meas.
S21 meas.
-16 S22 meas.

-18 -20

-20
-25
-22 5.30 5.35 5.40 5.45 5.50 5.55 5.60 5.65 5.70
5.40 5.45 5.50 5.55 5.60 Frequency (GHz)
Frequency (GHz)
Fig. 6 Simulated and measured scattering parameter
Fig. 3 S11and S21 variation of three stages of antenna design

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 0 330
0
30
0 IV. CONCLUSION
0 330 30
-5
-5
-10
-15
300
Eplane sim.
60 -10
-15
300
E plane sim.
60 In this paper, a two-element closely spaced microstrip
-20
-25
E plane meas.
H plane sim.
-20
-25
E plane meas. MIMO system with improved isolation using IFSD structure
H plane sim.
-30 270
-25
H plane meas. 90 -30 270
-25
H plane meas. 90
and slots is proposed. The IFSD structure along with slots
-20
-15
240 120
-20
-15
offers 65.39% improvement in port-to-port isolation as well
-10 240 120
-5
-10
-5 reduction of the radiation pattern null in broadside
0 210 150 0 210 150
180 180 direction.The proposed technique is simple to design and easy
(a) (b) to fabricate. The proposed design is fabricated and measured.
The measured S parameters and radiation characteristics are
Fig. 7 Simulated and measured Eplane and Hplane pattern at (a) antenna 1 and validated with the simulated ones. Apart from that the
(b) antenna 2
important MIMO performance parameters such as TARC and
0.8
ECC are computed having the values less than 0.3 and 0.005
respectively at the operating frequency. The proposed
0.7 structure proves a good MIMO antenna for diversity
0.6 applications.
V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TARC

0.5

0.4 Part of the work was supported by Bharti Centre for

sim.
0.3 meas.
Communication in IIT Bombay.
0.2

5.35 5.40 5.45 5.50 5.55 5.60 5.65

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