CAREER: Microfluidically Loaded Highly Reconfigurable Compact RF Devices

职业：微流体加载的高度可重构紧凑型射频器件的智力优势：这项职业生涯的努力调查的跨学科概念的微流体加载的可重构性的背景下，射频天线，滤波器和成像系统。这些设备基于一种新技术运行，该技术依赖于由金属（液体/固体）和介电溶液体积组成的连续可移动的微流体负载。与依赖于流体管和一次性可重构性的最近工作不同，所提出的具有薄绝缘壁的集成微流体通道实现真正允许最大化由液体体积提供的基于寄生负载的可重构性。所提出的努力调查柔性软基板器件实现和刚性硬基板实现，以提供在频率可调谐性，敏捷性，功率处理，尺寸和速度方面的上级可重构性能。该项目还设想了一种新的基于微流体的可重构方法，该方法基于在微流体通道内采用金属化石英片。这构成了与利用液态金属的现有方法的主要偏离，并为低成本无毒高度可重构的微流体加载RF组件铺平了道路。计划进行系统的研究，以表征和提高所提出的设备在某些机械冲击和应力条件下的可靠性，以推进状态的微流体重新配置的设备从简单的概念实验室原型演示的系统级集成。更广泛的影响：目前迫切需要低成本、易于使用的毫米波和亚毫米波成像/雷达技术。下一代卫星、地对空、空对空通信和雷达技术将需要易于使用、低成本、高度可重构和自适应的射频前端。可重构紧凑型滤波器的功率处理能力历来是一个重要的挑战，所提出的努力有望减轻这些问题。所提出的可重构设备和成像系统，如果成功的话，有可能将这些技术从复杂的军事平台，豪华汽车，昂贵的设备和专业医院转化为一般用途，以造福社会。该教育计划的重点是通过利用与佛罗里达先进技术教育中心（FL-ATE）和NSF佛罗里达州-乔治·路易斯中风少数民族参与联盟（FGLSAMP）的独特合作伙伴关系提供学习机会。一个重要的贡献将是通过利用USF最近成立的高级可视化中心（AVC）的三维可视化为中心的电磁理论教育的启动。该项目的3D可视化和跨学科性质将用于支持与小学和高中的外联活动。

CAREER: Microfluidically Loaded Highly Reconfigurable Compact RF DevicesIntellectual Merits: This CAREER effort investigates the interdisciplinary concept of microfluidically loaded reconfigurability within the context of RF antennas, filters, and imaging systems. These devices operate based on a new technique that relies on continuously movable microfluidic loads consisting of metal (liquid/solid) and dielectric solution volumes. Different than the recent work that relied on fluidic tubes and one-time reconfigurability, the proposed integrated microfluidic channel realizations with thin insulator walls truly allows for maximizing the parasitic loading based reconfigurability offered by the liquid volumes. The proposed effort investigates both flexible soft substrate device realizations and rigid hard substrate implementations to provide superior reconfigurability performances in terms of frequency tunability, agility, power handling, size, and speed. The project also envisions a novel microfluidic based reconfigurability approach based on employing metalized quartz pieces within the microfluidic channels. This constitutes a major deviation from existing approach of utilizing liquid metals and paves the way for low-cost non-toxic highly reconfigurable microfluidically loaded RF components. Systematic studies are planned to characterize and improve the reliability of the proposed devices under certain mechanical impact and stress conditions in order to advance the state of microfluidically reconfigured devices from simplistic conceptual laboratory prototype demonstrations to the system level integrations. Broader Impacts:There is currently a strong need for low cost, easy to use, mm and sub-mm wave imaging/radar technologies. Next generation satellite, ground-to-air, air-to-air communications and radar technologies will demand easy-to-use low-cost highly reconfigurable and self-adapting RF front-ends. The power handling capability of reconfigurable compact filters have historically been an important challenge, and the proposed effort holds promise to alleviate these concerns. The proposed reconfigurable devices and imaging systems, if successful, hold potential to transform such technologies from complicated military platforms, luxury cars, expensive devices, and specialized hospitals into general use to benefit the society. The educational plan is centered on providing learning opportunities by leveraging unique partnerships with Florida Advance Technological Education Center (FL-ATE) and NSF Florida-George Louis Strokes Alliance for Minority Participation (FGLSAMP). An important contribution will be the initiation of a 3D visualization centric electromagnetic theory education by utilizing USF's recently established Advanced Visualization Center (AVC). The 3D visualizations and interdisciplinary nature of the project will be used to support outreach activities with elementary and high schools.