Three-dimensional reconfigurable v-band antenna via mechanically-guided method

This paper presented a three-dimensional (3D) reconfigurable antenna operating in the V-band (40-75 GHz) for the first time. Based on co-design of mechanics and electromagnetics, a dipole antenna of polymer-metal-polymer microstructure was fabricated using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) techniques, enabling reconfigurability through the repeated stretching and releasing of a bonded elastomer substrate. The center frequency (f(c)) of the antenna was switched from 47.0 GHz in the 2D state to 56.6 GHz in the 3D state with an increased bandwidth from 7.2 GHz (43.2- 50.4 GHz) to 13.9 GHz (47.4- 61.3 GHz). The properties of this 3D reconfigurable antenna, particularly its large bandwidth, made it a promising component for V-band multifunctional, high-resolution radio frequency (RF) microsystems. These systems had potential applications in body sensing and portable health monitoring.