The use of liquid metal as a switching mechanism for a frequencyreconfigurable edge-fed microstrip patch antenna designed to operate in either the 2.4 GHz ISM band or the 1.6 GHz GPS band is illustrated. A partitioned fluidic manifold bonded to the top of the antenna enables the pressure-driven displacement of a low-loss dielectric fluid and the liquid metal from a reservoir atop the patch to switch between the two antenna states. Fabrication and measurement of the antenna illustrates the use of fluidics as an alternative to RF switches for reconfigurable antennas.Introduction: There has been increased interest in reconfigurable antennas in the past few years owing to their versatility over fixed-operation antenna designs. Improvements in RF reconfiguration technologies such as RF MEMS, pin diodes and FET switches [1-3] have enabled much of this growth through their versatility and reliability. These tuning mechanisms are often terminally connected to provide electronic control, and isolating the biasing and control circuits from the antenna's operation can be challenging. Fluidic systems are emerging as an alternative reconfiguration mechanism since pressure-driven systems [4] can be made electromagnetically transparent (or minimally intrusive). Eutectic Gallium Indium (EGaIn) has recently shown its usefulness in fluidic [5] and RF applications [6]. EGaIn has several benefits; the most notable being that it is non-toxic -when compared with other liquid metals, such as mercury.This Letter demonstrates the use of EGaIn in a frequency-reconfigurable antenna with a minimally intrusive fluidic actuation system. The Letter first describes the design procedure involved in creating the dual band antenna. Next is a discussion of the channel design and fluidics involved in the operation. Lastly is a discussion of the measurements of the fabricated antenna's voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR) and load impedance.
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