0-to-270° wide pattern reconfigurable antenna using 3D-Printed single quasi-yagi antenna with shape memory hinge

초록

This study presents a 0-to-270 degrees wide-pattern reconfigurable antenna incorporating a shape memory hinge. The substrate is 3D-printed using a shape memory polymer (SMP) and high-temperature filaments, with stretchable silver ink applied via screen printing. To enable reconfiguration in response to thermal stimuli, the folding section is fabricated from SMP. Leveraging the end-fire radiation characteristics of a quasi-Yagi antenna, the shape memory hinge adjusts the radiation direction. The antenna's performance was evaluated at folding angles of -180 degrees, -90 degrees, 0 degrees, and 90 degrees. In the flat position (0 degrees), the measured -10 dB bandwidth ranges from 4.26 to 5.48 GHz, with a peak gain of 4.01-7.49 dBi. The measured -10 dB bandwidths at alpha = -180 degrees, -90 degrees, and 90 degrees are 4.22-5.45, 4.26-5.47, and 4.28-5.54 GHz, respectively, with corresponding peak gains of 3.22-6.72, 4.52-7.07, and 5.01-7.24 dBi. These results demonstrate a stable frequency response and gain across different folding angles. With its straightforward design and fabrication process, the proposed antenna enables beam direction adjustment over a wide angular range, offering a novel approach to pattern reconfigurable antennas.

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