Closely-Packed UWB MIMO/Diversity Antenna With Different Patterns and Polarizations for USB Dongle Applications

A closely-packed ultrawideband (UWB) multiple- input multiple-output (MIMO)/diversity antenna (of two elements) with a size of 25 mm by 40 mm is proposed for USB dongle applications. Wideband isolation can be achieved through the different patterns and polarizations of the two antenna elements. Moreover, the slot that is formed between the monopole and the ground plane of the half slot antenna is conveniently used to further enhance the isolation at the lower frequencies and to provide an additional resonance at one antenna element in order to increase its bandwidth. The underlying mechanisms of the antenna´s wide impedance bandwidth and low mutual coupling are analyzed in detail. Based on the measurement results, the proposed antenna can cover the lower UWB band of 3.1-5.15 GHz, and within the required band, the isolation exceeds 26 dB. The gains and total efficiencies of the two antenna elements are also measured. Furthermore, a chassis mode can be excited when a physical connection is required between the ground planes of the two antenna elements. Without affecting the performance of the half slot element, the monopole can now cover the band of 1.78-3 GHz, apart from the UWB band. The proposed antenna structure is found to provide good MIMO/diversity performance, with very low envelope correlation of less than 0.1 across the UWB band.