Wideband Single and Dual Linearly Polarized Magneto-Electric Dipole Array Antennas for 5G/6G Millimeter-Wave Applications

A new taper-shaped linearly polarized (LP) magneto-electric (ME) dipole, excited by the U-shaped microstrip line through a coupling slot, is proposed in this paper. An ultra-wide simulated impedance bandwidth of 85% (20.5-50.6 GHz) and 1.5-dB gain bandwidth of 73% (22.3-47.9 GHz) with a peak gain up to 7.7 dBi are achieved, combining the advantages of simple and compact structure, high integration, easy assembling and stable radiation characteristics. For proof-of-concept demonstration, a 4 x 4 LP array antenna is then implemented with an ultra-wide measured impedance bandwidth of 91.8% (18.8-50.7 GHz) and 3-dB gain bandwidth of 69.3% (19.8 to 40.8 GHz) as well as a peak gain of 18.0 dBi. Subsequently, the LP element is conveniently extended to a dual-polarized (DP) one due to its 90 degrees rotationally symmetrical structure, exhibiting a wide simulated overlapped bandwidth of 61.4% (23.7-44.7 GHz), port isolation exceeding 17 dB and a stable gain response with a peak gain of 7.5 dBi. Furthermore, two 1x4 DP active phased array antennas (APAAs) are designed by utilizing the integrated circuits (ICs) for 5G/6G millimeter-wave (mmWave) mobile terminal applications. Meanwhile, the beam-scanning performances at 28-and 38-GHz are measured for both polarizations. The validated advantages render the proposed antenna designs competitive candidates for diverse 5G/6G mmWave applications.