Low-cost Kirigami-inspired deployable dual-polarized MIMO antenna with angular pattern diversity

Abstract

This work presents a low-cost, easy-to-fabricate, kirigami-inspired deployable MIMO antenna operating at 2 GHz, featuring dual polarization and angular pattern diversity. Inspired by the Yagi antenna design, the proposed MIMO antenna comprises two orthogonally oriented antennas, each consisting of a rectangular radiating element (monopole) and one parasitic rectangular strip (director). These are integrated onto a foldable, staircase-shaped Kirigami structure made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheet. Each antenna includes a reflector attached to the Kirigami structure’s back. Operating at 2 GHz, the antenna achieves a measured peak gain of 9 dBi with a -10 dB impedance bandwidth of 630 MHz (1.82 GHz to 2.45 GHz). Mutual coupling between the radiating elements is maintained below -15 dB, and the total efficiency exceeds 80% across the operating band. The antenna system meets MIMO specifications, demonstrating an Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC) below 0.0025 and a Channel Capacity Loss (CCL) below 0.35 bps/Hz. This combination of high performance, low cost, and ease of fabrication makes the proposed design a promising candidate for diverse microwave applications.