Gravity-Controlled Liquid Metal Antenna for 6G Flying Base-Stations: A 3D-Printed Solution to Address Tilting

초록

The upper mid-band, or Frequency Range 3 (FR3) from 7 to 24 GHz, is critical for new 6G cellular services. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as flying base-stations, are essential to maintain connectivity in congested areas. However, these flying base-stations face several challenges that range from hardware limitations to security concerns. This study presents a novel 3D-printed, planar, aerodynamic, and lightweight liquid metal-based antenna designed to address the tilting and rotation of UAV base stations, which is crucial for urban air mobility connectivity. The liquid metal inside a spherical chamber, guided by 45° curved reflectors, flows freely due to gravity, maintaining a stable shape that ensures optimal radiation directed toward the ground. The proposed antenna is designed to operate at a center frequency of 14.8 GHz with an operating band ranging from 14.2 to 15.8 GHz, covering the newly allocated 6G FR3 band (14.3-15.35 GHz) and achieving a peak gain of 8.02 dBi. Its performance is simulated across various tilt angles and effectively addresses the requirement for robust connectivity in dynamic UAV scenarios. © 2025 IEEE.

키워드