Compact flexible and reconfigurable antenna using screen-printed vanadium dioxide switch for wireless local area network and 5G electronic devices

This article proposes an additive manufacturing compact (30 × 36 × 0.125 mm3), flexible, and reconfigurable antenna with the ability to switch between wideband and dual-band for wireless electronic devices used in the fifth generation (5G) systems and wireless local area network (WLAN) systems. The antenna consists of a folded branch line and an inverted L-shape branch as radiator, and a slot on the ground plane. A vanadium dioxide (VO2) switch is screen-printed on the folded branch line to reconfigure the operation frequencies. The antenna is optimized to operate for a wide bandwidth between 2.46 and 4.3 GHz when the VO2 switch is in the “OFF” state. The antenna exhibits dual narrow-bands at frequencies of 2.4 and 5.2 GHz when the VO2 switch is heated up to 85°C or when a DC current of 50 mA is applied. Simulation and measurement show that the performance of the antenna remains relatively stable under different bending conditions in both the “ON” and “OFF” states of the switch. The operating frequencies can be independently controlled, and a guideline is discussed to design the antenna for other frequencies.