Reconfigurable Liquid-Metal RF Circuits and Antennas Using Electrical Actuation

拟议的研究将研究液态金属的电控驱动，有助于为使用液态金属的可重构设备和电路的设计奠定基础。可重构电子设备具有改变其操作参数的独特能力，使它们能够适应特定的任务或环境。液态金属的非晶态性质允许创建动态导体，其形状和位置可以改变以适应不断变化的环境或操作参数。例如，想象一下，移动电子设备可以重新配置其通信系统，以在各种环境中提供最高的效率，从而提供最长的电池寿命。这项研究有可能影响电子和电信行业，并且可以更有效和高效地利用无线频谱。此外，对驱动方法的研究还应用于可重构电子学之外的领域，包括微流体和片上实验室系统。该项目还将支持代表性不足的夏威夷原住民学生，让本科生参与拟议的研究，并将支持对 K-12 学生的推广。我们将研究用于驱动液态金属的低压电控驱动方法，并根据可重构射频 (RF) 电路中的应用定制这些方法。将重点关注的驱动方法包括电毛细管和电化学驱动的新型混合形式、电毛细管驱动与液态金属的量子化形状以及连续电润湿。将演示使用每种驱动方法的可重构电路：可以变形以改变其工作特性的液态金属天线，以及具有低插入损耗、高隔离度和高可靠性潜力的微波频率开关。拟议的研究还将解决液态金属器件中的一个重要问题：由于使用含水电解质而导致的微波频率损耗。将开发不受此影响的设备架构，利用损失，或通过去除或置换电解质来最小化损失。每种提出的液态金属驱动方法对可重构电路的独特约束和要求的适应都是新颖的。将通过创建在微波频率下运行的新型可重构电路来展示驱动方法。由此产生的设备将具有独特的性能特征或超过可重构电子设备当前最先进的性能特征。因此，这项研究将推动液态金属电路领域的发展，并创造实现可重构射频电路的新技术。将产生液态金属驱动的新知识。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The proposed research will investigate electrically controlled actuation of liquid metals, helping to create the foundation for the design of reconfigurable devices and circuits that use liquid metals. Reconfigurable electronics have the unique ability to change their operational parameters, allowing them to adapt to specific tasks or environments. The amorphous nature of liquid metal allows for the creation of dynamic conductors whose shape and position can be altered to adapt to changing environments or operating parameters. Imagine, for example, a mobile electronic device that can reconfigure its communication system to provide the highest efficiency, and thus the longest battery life, in a variety of environments. This research has the potential to impact the electronics and telecommunication industries, and can enable more effective and efficient use of the wireless frequency spectrum. In addition, the research into the actuation methods has applications to fields outside of reconfigurable electronics, including microfluidics and lab- on-chip systems. This project will also support the inclusion of underrepresented Native Hawaiian students, will involve undergraduate students in the proposed research, and will support outreach to K-12 students.We will investigate low-voltage electrically controlled actuation methods for the actuation of liquid metals, and tailor these methods to applications in reconfigurable radio-frequency (RF) circuits. The actuation methods that will be focused on include a novel hybrid form of electrocapillary and electrochemical actuation, electrical capillary actuation coupled with quantized shapes of liquid metal, and continuous electrowetting. Reconfigurable circuits using each type of actuation method will be demonstrated: liquid-metal antennas that can shapeshift to change their operating characteristics, and microwave-frequency switches that have the potential for low insertion loss, high isolation, and high reliability. The proposed research will also address an important issue in liquid-metal devices: loss at microwave frequencies due to the use of aqueous electrolytes. Device architectures will be developed that are agnostic to this effect, take advantage of the loss, or minimize the loss by removing or displacing the electrolyte. The adaptation of each proposed liquid-metal actuation method to the unique constraints and requirements of reconfigurable circuits is novel. The actuation methods will be showcased by creating new types of reconfigurable circuits operating at microwave frequencies. The resulting devices will have performance characteristics that are unique or that exceed the current state-of-the-art in reconfigurable electronics. Thus, this research will advance the field of liquid-metal circuits, and create new technologies for realizing reconfigurable RF circuits. New knowledge of liquid-metal actuation will be generated.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.