Reconfigurable Liquid-Metal Circuits and Antennas: Magnetic and Pressure-Based Actuation for Improved Performance at Microwave Frequencies

Abstract

The focus of this thesis is on reconfigurable liquid-metal circuits and antennas designed to operate at radio- and microwave frequencies. Two new actuation methods for manipulating liquid metal, ferrofluidic actuation and pressure-point actuation, are presented. The first method presented, ferrofluidic actuation, utilizes the physical deformation of ferrofluid in response to a magnetic field to displace, or transport, liquid metal from one location to another. This technique is demonstrated and shown in a functional RF switch. The second method described in this work, pressure-point actuation, enables small volumes of liquid metal, referred to as nodes, to be split apart or merged together to incrementally alter the length or shape of a liquid-metal conductor.