CAREER: Microfluidically Loaded Highly Reconfigurable Compact RF Devices

职业：微流控负载高度可重构的紧凑型射频设备智力优势：这项职业努力研究了射频天线，滤波器和成像系统背景下微流控负载可重构性的跨学科概念。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微流体负载。与最近依赖于流体管和一次性可重构性的工作不同，所提出的具有薄绝缘体壁的集成微流体通道实现真正允许最大化基于液体体积提供的寄生负载的可重构性。提出的努力研究柔性软基板器件实现和刚性硬基板实现，以在频率可调性，敏捷性，功率处理，尺寸和速度方面提供卓越的可重构性能。该项目还设想了一种新的基于微流控的可重构性方法，该方法基于在微流控通道内使用金属化石英片。这是对现有利用液态金属方法的重大偏离，为低成本、无毒、高可重构的微流体负载射频元件铺平了道路。计划进行系统研究，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，从而将微流控重构设备的状态从简单的概念实验室原型演示推进到系统级集成。更广泛的影响：目前对低成本、易于使用的毫米波和亚毫米波成像/雷达技术有着强烈的需求。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，而提出的努力有望减轻这些担忧。所提出的可重构设备和成像系统，如果成功，将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，造福社会。该教育计划的重点是通过利用佛罗里达先进技术教育中心（FL-ATE）和美国国家科学基金会佛罗里达-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最近建立的高级可视化中心（AVC）发起以3D可视化为中心的电磁理论教育。该项目的3D可视化和跨学科性质将用于支持小学和高中的外展活动。

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.