In an article by RF Globalnet, researches from Ohio State University have designed a new way for upcoming 5G antennas to function. Instead of a traditional antenna surrounded and connected to a lossy outer housing, these new antennas will ‘float’ within their housing.
“Think of it like a diaphragm supported by small posts, but it’s mostly floating. The idea is to physically isolate the antenna from the lossy substrate. Suspend it in air,” said an assistant professor at the university.
By keeping the antenna as isolated as possible from high loss enclosures, the antennas can be more effective, and with 5G technologies aiming for significantly higher bandwidth than 4G, this is a major advancement towards that goal.