Large-Scale MIMO Transmitters in Fixed Physical Spaces: The Effect of Transmit Correlation and Mutual Coupling

We explore the performance of multiple input multiple output (MIMO) transmitters in correlated channels where increasing numbers of antenna elements are fitted in a fixed physical space. As well investigated in the literature, two main effects emerge in such a design: transmit spatial correlation and mutual antenna coupling. In contrast to the literature however, here we investigate the combined effect of reducing the distance between the antenna elements with increasing the number of elements in a fixed transmitter space. In other words, towards the implementation of large-scale MIMO transmitters in limited physical spaces, we investigate the joint effect of two contradicting phenomena: the reduction of spatial diversity due to reducing the separation between antennas and the increase in transmit diversity by increasing the number of elements. Within this context, we analytically approximate the performance of two distinct linear precoding designs. The theoretical analysis and simulations show the somewhat surprising result that for a given number of receivers the improved transmit diversity dominates the performance of practical linear precoders. Consequently, important benefits in the system sum rate can be gleaned by fitting more antenna elements in a fixed space by employing separations smaller than the wavelength of the transmit frequency.