Studies on high-gain millimeter wave antennas for 5g and non-terrestrial network (NTN) applications

Abstract

The continuous advancement in wireless communication technologies has significantly accelerated the need for high-speed, low-latency, and reliable data transmission. With the emergence of the fifth generation (5G) and upcoming 6G mobile communication systems, the pressure on the existing frequency spectrum has intensified. To accommodate the increasing user demands and enable massive device connectivity, the industry has turned toward the millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequency bands, particularly around 28 GHz and 38 GHz, which offer significantly larger bandwidths compared to sub-6 GHz counterparts. However, mm-wave communication introduces several inherent challenges. These include high free-space path loss, poor material penetration, short communication range, and susceptibility to atmospheric absorption. To overcome these limitations and ensure robust system performance, antenna systems operating in this spectrum must be carefully designed to deliver high gain, compact size, low mutual coupling in MIMO configurations, efficient beam directionality, and radiation safety especially for applications involving wearable and body-mounted devices.