Lightweight, Low-Profile 3-Port Antenna Using Additive Manufacturing Process

A 3D-printed 3-port antenna for MIMO communications is proposed. Its design relies on the combination of a cavity and annular slot structure. Originality of this works relies not only on its compactness and the method to excite the different radiating modes while preserving isolation, but also on its light weight obtained thanks to additive manufacturing process. The fabricated 3-port antennas, working at 5 GHz exhibit a low mass (less than 10 grams) and show a good agreement between measured and simulated electrical results.