A Dual-Reconfigurable Printed Dipole MIMO Antenna with Frequency and Pattern Control for Mobile Devices

The design, analysis, and experimental development of a two-element reconfigurable printed dipole MIMO antenna are presented in this paper. The antenna exhibits both frequency and pattern reconfigurability and it is suitable for handheld devices. The frequency-tuning mechanism is implemented using varactor diodes mounted on the driven dipole elements while pattern reconfigurability is achieved using varactor diodes placed at the centers of parasitic dipoles, which are employed to steer the pattern. The fabricated antenna provides a relative frequency-tuning range of 24%, extending from 2.2 GHz to 2.8 GHz, within which the pattern can be reconfigured at 350° and 170° in the azimuth plane. The measurements validate the proposed concept, and the Diversity and MIMO system-level performance is investigated as well.