A Novel Polarization Reconfigurable Antenna Based on Electrochemically-Controlled Liquid Metal

This paper proposes a novel reconfigurable antenna that has three polarization modes: left-handed circular polarization (LHCP), right-handed circular polarization (RHCP), and linear polarization (LP). The reconfigurability of the antenna is based on electrochemically-controlled liquid metal. The basic structure is a probe-fed square patch antenna with four circular slots. 3-D printed containers are attached to the patch, in which NaOH solution and liquid metal are placed. By adding a positive DC voltage to the liquid metal and a negative one through ring-shaped copper wires surrounding the liquid metal, the radius of the liquid metal drop can change due to its electrochemical feature. The working mode of the antenna can thus be reconfigured. Simulation results by Ansys HFSS are presented.