Coherent and Noncoherent Detection in Dense Arrays: Can We Ignore Mutual Coupling?

This paper investigates the impact of mutual coupling on MIMO systems with densely deployed antennas. Leveraging multiport communication theory, we analyze both coherent and noncoherent detection approaches in a single-user uplink scenario where the receiver ignores mutual coupling effects. Simulation results indicate that while coherent detection is generally more accurate, it is highly sensitive to mismatches in the coupling model, leading to severe performance degradation when antennas are closely spaced, to the point of becoming unusable. Noncoherent detection, on the other hand, exhibits a higher error probability but is more robust to coupling model mismatches.