Antenna design strategies to reduce coupling and interference in wireless communications systems

Antenna size is the dominant limiting factor in miniaturizing electronics and RF front ends. This paper reviews the challenges behind antenna design and integration in wireless systems and explores solutions, such as multifunctional antennas involving multiple frequency bands and communications modes, to achieve improved connectivity. The design of a segmented printed loop of resonant size is discussed to highlight tradeoffs associated with antenna miniaturization, such as low gain and moderate coupling. A dual-band slotted loop antenna array design, applicable to multifunctional radio, is addressed considering design strategies to minimize channel interference, such as scalability, elements with low cross-polarization, and exploiting geometrical symmetries to reduce mutual coupling.