Front-End Mismatching, Mutual Coupling, Bandwidth, Transmission Line Noise, and SNR

This paper examines the novel technique of front-end mismatching, which offers benefits for a wide variety of antennas. This technique is especially effective for electrically small antennas (ESAs), which are typically constrained by bandwidth limitations. Notably, matching circuitry influences the scattering matrix and, consequently, the coupling between elements. Significantly, mismatching can reduce mutual coupling, thereby addressing issues in dense arrays and MIMO systems. First, the noise figure for a receiver chain with a significant mismatch is determined. Then, we discuss the advantages of incorporating an intentional impedance mismatch at the receiver end. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method, we apply it to a standard receiving chain.