Slot-Enabled Mutual Coupling Reduction in Flexible Jeans-Based Textile MIMO Antenna for 2.45 GHz Wearable System

Abstract

Mutual coupling is a main challenge in the design of textile-based Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) antennas, as it can significantly degrade channel capacity, signal quality, and communication efficiency. This study proposes a jeans-based textile MIMO antenna modified with vertical and horizontal slots at the center of the patch to minimize electromagnetic interaction between elements. The antenna was designed and analyzed using HFSS, and its performance was validated through measurements. The results demonstrate high isolation (S21) values, with –58.32 dB in simulation and –78.19 dB in measurement, at the 2.45 GHz operating frequency. In addition, the antenna exhibits an omnidirectional radiation pattern with uniform energy distribution, ensuring reliable coverage. These findings confirm the effectiveness of the slot technique in enhancing MIMO antenna performance and highlight the potential of flexible jeans-based substrates for wearable system applications in Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) and the Internet of Things (IoT).