3D printed microfluidics-based reconfigurable antenna

Antennas are great candidates for integration with fluidics, due to the need for flexibility and tunability for 5G networks and applications. A novel reconfigurable antenna design using 3D printing of PMMA channels, on a double patch antenna is presented. The channels contain the liquid metal Galinstan, immersed in 2 % sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. When a voltage is applied across the channel, it changes the surface tension at Galinstan-NaOH interface, allowing it to flow across the channel. The resonant frequency of an antenna can be tuned in response to the variation of the fluid characteristics under an external voltage to re-drain and refill the channel multiple times. Simulation results show that the center frequency of the operational range shifts from 14.20 GHz (bandwidth 0.66 GHz) when no voltage is applied to 15.10 GHz (bandwidth 0.88 GHz) when actuation voltage is applied across the channel.