Linear polarization

Electrical engineering

Physics

Microstrip

Band-pass filter

Antenna measurement

Bandwidth (computing)

Wideband

Laser

Control reconfiguration

Optics

Slot antenna

Engineering

Reconfigurable antenna

Physical chemistry

Embedded system

Circular polarization

Microstrip antenna

Antenna (radio)

Chemistry

Materials science

Polarization (electrochemistry)

Axial ratio

Computer science

Optoelectronics

Center frequency

Telecommunications

Coaxial antenna

IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation

In this communication, a microfluidically frequency- and polarization-reconfigurable slot antenna using liquid metal (LM) is proposed. The polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) structure with narrow-banded microchannels is loaded on the printed circuit board (PCB) of a square slot antenna, providing condition for reconfiguration. The left-hand circular polarization (LHCP), right-hand circular polarization (RHCP), and linear polarization (LP) are achieved by injecting LM into +45° and -45° channels with respect to the x-axis or keeping the channels empty. Three operating frequency bands of LHCP and RHCP states can be realized by filling the microchannels with different lengths. Both states have an overall tuning 3 dB axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW) of 26.42% (2.3-3 GHz). In LP state, the proposed antenna realizes a -10 dB impedance bandwidth of 11.6% (2.03-2.28 GHz). A prototype of the proposed antenna has been fabricated and measured. Good agreement between the simulated and measured results validates the feasibility of this technique.

A Frequency- and Polarization-Reconfigurable Slot Antenna Using Liquid Metal