Applying Characteristic Mode Theory to the Design of MIMO antennas

Krishna Kuma Kishor

Hum Group, Electromagnetics

Abstract:

In recent years, given the benefits of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication, there has been an increased interest in incorporating multiple antennas with low mutual coupling on handheld devices such as smartphones. Moreover, as wireless devices are often deployed in a dynamic environment, the correlation between the signals received from the MIMO antenna ports can vary significantly. In such situations an adaptive system consisting of reconfigurable antenna elements can boost system performance by accessing a different set of wireless channels.

In this talk, I will discuss the design of MIMO antennas using the theory of characteristic modes (CMs) which was introduced in the late 1960s. CM theory allows us to compute the orthogonal eigenmodes of a metallic structure, which can then be manipulated to the design of MIMO antennas. I will present some examples found in literature, and then focus on the design of a non-reconfigurable and a reconfigurable chassis-based MIMO antenna that was developed as part of my Ph.D. work.

Biography:

Krishna Kumar Kishor received his B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2007 and 2010 respectively. Presently he is working towards his Ph.D. degree under Prof. Sean Victor Hum. He is interested in antenna design, particularly of reconfigurable antennas. He has worked on reflectarray antennas in the past, and is currently involved in reconfigurable antenna design for next-generation wireless systems.