An ANN-based Versatile Millimeter-wave MIMO Slotted Patch Antenna for 5G Network

This study addresses the modelling of a dual band (28 and 38 GHz), circularly polarised slotted-patch-antenna for highly demanded millimetre wave multi-input multi-output (MIMO)-systems in fifth generation (5G) networks. A computer-aided-design model is derived by means of an artificial neural network (ANN) which allows obtaining the physical dimensions of a single-fed antenna, satisfying both near- and far-field goals, without resorting to time-consuming electromagnetic simulation. This mathematical model can be implemented in any CAD-tool, as demonstrated within the framework of advanced design system. This allows, for the first time, to carry out optimisations of strategic importance for future 5G non-linear-radiating-systems, especially operating at millimetre wave, directly addressing their far-field behaviour. The model performance is validated by some examples and measurement results. A further important advantage of this approach is that the trained ANN-model can be further adopted to fast, but accurately, investigate the complex relationships between antenna layout and its near-field and far-field performance, such as the resonance conditions and the polarisation behaviour. Indeed arbitrary orthogonal-polarisations (LHCP/RHCP) have been achieved by the aid of the ANN-model of the same topology. This result can be adopted to implement a combination of two independent radiation patterns for the antenna pair: this feature is attractive for MIMO applications. This is confirmed by measurements showing antenna-coupling reduction with the MIMO-array exploiting polarisation diversity.