Statistical Properties and Variations of LOS MIMO Channels at Millimeter Wave Frequencies

Measurement results for millimeter wave LOS MIMO systems are presented with a focus on time variation and multipath propagation. Different system setups are used, including 2x2 and 3x3 MIMO, and involving different synchronization procedures and front-ends. Furthermore, different propagation scenarios are evaluated, covering a wide area of applications. The results show that the LOS component carries significantly more power than the NLOS components, and that frequency selectivity from front-ends should be taken into account when designing these high bandwidth systems. Frequency offsets and other phase variations due to transmit and receive oscillator differences are treated as part of the channel and thus, depending on the synchronization setup, the MIMO system exhibits different time variations, particularly in the case of independent local oscillators. It is also observed that these systems experience significant non-trivial long-term variations in terms of amplitude and phase.