Characteristics Mode Analysis Based Dual-Port Sub-6 GHz Flexible Antenna for Surveillance Applications

The advent of fifth-generation technology has facilitated high-speed communication with a higher data rate, low latency, and reliable communication. Researchers are focusing on the Sub-6 GHz 5G band because of decreased penetration losses and good SNR. In this article, a two-element flexible Sub-6 GHz MIMO antenna is presented. A defective ground plane consisting of a T-shaped stub and two symmetrical I-shaped stubs provides isolation greater than 20 dB over the entire bandwidth. Characteristic mode analysis is conducted to evaluate the physical phenomena of the antenna. MIMO diversity metrics reveal ECC < 0.005, DG ≈ 10, TARC < -10 dB, MEG < -3 dB, and CCL < 0.25 bps/Hz, confirming the antenna’s usefulness in real-time MIMO applications. Furthermore, SAR analysis is performed for the antenna with a three-layer tissue model and is found to be 0.761 W/kg and 0.359 W/kg for 1g and 10 g of tissue respectively at 3.8 GHz. The antenna is integrated into a metallic helmet to investigate the viability of the antenna for surveillance applications and the antenna exhibited satisfactory radiation characteristics.