Enabling 6G UAV Platforms with A Low-Profile and Self-Decoupled Shared-Aperture Antenna Array

This work presents a low-profile and self-decoupled dual-band shared-aperture patch array for 6G beamforming on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms. The design integrates four high-band antennas (HBAs) with a slotted Jerusalem-cross stripe (JS) on a single layer, achieving a compact and lightweight structure ideal for airborne use. This configuration is further extended to dual-polarization shared-aperture operation, enabling polarization diversity for enhanced link robustness. The slotted JS enables simultaneous dual-band operation and suppresses both in-band and cross-band coupling, ensuring robust performance in dense electromagnetic environments. Measured results demonstrate exceptional isolation of over 20 dB across all bands and wide beam-scanning capability up to ±20° (LB) and ±50° (HB), all achieved within an ultra-low-profile of merely 0.09 wavelength. This combination of high isolation and agile beam control makes the array suitable for UAVs, enabling high-reliability command-and-control links and precision beam-tracking in dynamic flight environments.