A frequency reconfigurable circularly polarized microstrip patch antenna using liquid metal microswitches

Reconfigurable antennas with adaptable frequency, pattern, and polarization offer flexibility and size reduction for wireless systems that must increasingly execute multiple missions with less volume. These antennas will also complement anticipated cognitive radio systems, which promise more efficient use of the electromagnetic spectrum. Microscale liquid metal switches are proposed to overcome the series loss, mechanical fatigue, and limited power handling reliability of common methods of antenna reconfiguration such as semiconductor diodes and microelectromechanical switches. The proposed microswitches consist of mercury droplets that selectively connect solid metal traces. Both fluidic and electrostatic switch actuation mechanisms are investigated, and an electrostatic switch is demonstrated. Electrostatically actuated switches are designed into a compact single-feed patch antenna configurable between two communication frequency bands and a GPS band with different circular polarizations. The antenna topology is based on a corner truncated square patch with switched sets of extensions to achieve resonant frequency and axial ratio control. Measurements of reconfigurable prototypes demonstrate frequency and polarization configurability in good agreement with full-wave simulations. The proposed reconfiguration mechanism is compared to other methods, and future directions for the integration of microfluidics in reconfigurable radio frequency systems are proposed.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Yee, Steven C. (Steven Christopher), 1989-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Amy Duwel and Dana Weinstein.

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/82359

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/82359