Authors :
Uche Agwu; Matthew Ehikhamenle
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 1 - January
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/d655ueaf
Scribd :
https://tinyurl.com/yt94urtk
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jan461
Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.
Abstract :
Super-directive holographic massive multiple-input multiple-output (HMIMO) antenna arrays are a key enabler
for near-field beamforming, spatial focusing, and interference suppression in sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems.
Although classical super-directive synthesis can, in principle, deliver extreme directivity, its physical realization is
constrained by electromagnetic limits such as excessive reactive energy storage, bandwidth collapse, impedance mismatch,
mutual coupling, and radiation-efficiency degradation. This paper presents an electromagnetic-aware design and validation
framework for physically realizable near-field super-directive HMIMO arrays. The framework combines near-field array
theory with fundamental bounds on directivity, quality factor (Q), sidelobe behavior, and realized gain, while explicitly
enforcing practical constraints on excitation magnitudes, matching (S11), and efficiency. Full-wave electromagnetic
simulations (CST Microwave Studio) are used to validate optimized planar HMIMO arrays across multiple aperture sizes.
Results show that, when electromagnetic constraints are embedded in the design process, super-directive HMIMO arrays
can generate highly focused near-field beams with stable impedance response and acceptable radiation efficiency, supporting
practical 6G deployments in user-centric communications, integrated sensing and communication, localization, and wireless
power transfer.
Keywords :
Super-Directive Antennas, Holographic Massive MIMO, Near-Field Beamforming, Electromagnetic Realizability, 6G Communications.
References :
- C. A. Balanis, Antenna Theory: Analysis and Design, 4th ed. Hoboken, NJ, USA: Wiley, 2016.
- R. F. Harrington, “On the gain and beamwidth of directional antennas,” IRE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 6, no. 3, pp. 219–225, Jul. 1958.
- H. L. Thal, “New radiation Q limits for spherical wire antennas,” IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 54, no. 10, pp. 2757–2763, Oct. 2006.
- L. J. Chu, “Physical limitations of omni-directional antennas,” Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 19, no. 12, pp. 1163–1175, Dec. 1948.
- M. Gustafsson and S. Nordebo, “Bandwidth, Q factor, and resonance models of antennas,” Progress in Electromagnetics Research, vol. 62, pp. 1–20, 2006.
- Poon, R. W. Brodersen, and D. N. C. Tse, “Degrees of freedom in multiple-antenna channels: A signal space approach,” IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 523–536, Feb. 2005.
- E. Björnson, L. Sanguinetti, and J. Hoydis, “Designing massive MIMO for beyond 5G,” IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 57, no. 2, pp. 36–42, Feb. 2019.
- S. Abadal et al., “Computing and communications for the software-defined metamaterial paradigm,” Nature Electronics, vol. 3, pp. 36–45, Jan. 2020.
- Q. Wu and R. Zhang, “Towards smart and reconfigurable environment: Intelligent reflecting surface aided wireless network,” IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 58, no. 1, pp. 106–112, Jan. 2020.
- H. Yang, F. Gao, S. Jin, and C. Wen, “Near-field beamforming for extremely large-scale antenna arrays,” IEEE Communications Letters, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 1525–1529, May 2021.
- S. K. Sharma and D. S. Nagarkoti, “Meet the challenge of designing electrically small antennas,” Microwaves & RF, Aug. 19, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/components/article/21848593/meet-the-challenge-of-designing-electrically-small-antennas
- E. Demirors, G. C. Alexandropoulos, and M. Debbah, “Near-field communications for 6G: Fundamentals and opportunities,” IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 60, no. 6, pp. 84–90, Jun. 2022.
- M. Di Renzo et al., “Smart radio environments empowered by reconfigurable intelligent surfaces: How it works, state of research, and the road ahead,” IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, vol. 38, no. 11, pp. 2450–2525, Nov. 2020.
- R. C. Hansen, Phased Array Antennas, 2nd ed. Hoboken, NJ, USA: Wiley, 2009.
- R. F. Harrington and J. R. Mautz, “Theory of characteristic modes for conducting bodies,” IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 622–628, Sep. 1971.
- CST Studio Suite, “CST Microwave Studio – 3D EM Simulation Software,” Dassault Systèmes, 2023.
- F. Molisch et al., “Hybrid beamforming for massive MIMO: A survey,” IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 55, no. 9, pp. 134–141, Sep. 2017.
- M. Z. Win et al., “Sensing and communication in the near field,” IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 59, no. 6, pp. 84–90, Jun. 2021.
- Y. Zeng, J. Xu, and R. Zhang, “Energy minimization for wireless communication with rotary-wing UAV,” IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 2329–2345, Apr. 2019.
Super-directive holographic massive multiple-input multiple-output (HMIMO) antenna arrays are a key enabler
for near-field beamforming, spatial focusing, and interference suppression in sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems.
Although classical super-directive synthesis can, in principle, deliver extreme directivity, its physical realization is
constrained by electromagnetic limits such as excessive reactive energy storage, bandwidth collapse, impedance mismatch,
mutual coupling, and radiation-efficiency degradation. This paper presents an electromagnetic-aware design and validation
framework for physically realizable near-field super-directive HMIMO arrays. The framework combines near-field array
theory with fundamental bounds on directivity, quality factor (Q), sidelobe behavior, and realized gain, while explicitly
enforcing practical constraints on excitation magnitudes, matching (S11), and efficiency. Full-wave electromagnetic
simulations (CST Microwave Studio) are used to validate optimized planar HMIMO arrays across multiple aperture sizes.
Results show that, when electromagnetic constraints are embedded in the design process, super-directive HMIMO arrays
can generate highly focused near-field beams with stable impedance response and acceptable radiation efficiency, supporting
practical 6G deployments in user-centric communications, integrated sensing and communication, localization, and wireless
power transfer.
Keywords :
Super-Directive Antennas, Holographic Massive MIMO, Near-Field Beamforming, Electromagnetic Realizability, 6G Communications.