Dual-Band Shared-Aperture Base Station Antenna Array With Electromagnetic Transparent Antenna Elements

An electromagnetic transparent antenna element is proposed for dual-band shared-aperture fifth-generation (5G) MIMO base station antenna array developments. The antenna element that operates in the low-frequency band (LB) of 1.8-2.7 GHz is placed above the aperture of the antenna array that operates in the high-frequency band (HB) of 3.3-3.8 GHz. Because of this antenna array configuration, the antenna elements in the LB have to be transparent to the electromagnetic waves radiated by the HB antenna array. This kind of electromagnetic transparent antenna element allows the HB antenna array working properly in the dual-band shared-aperture antenna array configuration. In this work, the electromagnetic transparent antenna element is inspired by the element of a typical wide-angle bandpass frequency selective surface (FSS). The radiation performance of the electromagnetic transparent antenna element at the LB is realized by properly combining the wide-angle bandpass FSS elements. A dual-band dual-polarized shared-aperture antenna array is then developed to demonstrate the concept and design. The experimental result validates the stable radiation patterns of each antenna element in both LB and HB. It indicates the proposed approach is promising for 5G MIMO base station antenna array developments.