Microfluidically Reconfigurable mm-Wave Slow Wave Phase Shifter With Integrated Actuation

A microfluidically reconfigurable slow wave phase shifter (MRPS) with integrated actuation is introduced. MRPS is based on a selectively metalized plate (SMP) repositionable within a microfluidic channel placed in close proximity to a microstrip line. SMP repositioning creates a variable capacitive loading to alter the speed of the propagating wave. The device exhibits < 2 dB insertion loss (IL) and a reconfiguration time of 50 ms. The <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$|S_{21}|$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$|S_{11}|$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, and phase performances are characterized to be stable with respect to gravity by no more than 0.16 dB, 3.02 dB, and 7.73° variations, respectively. Vibration test shows 0.08 dB in IL, 1.72 dB in return loss (RL), and 4.23° in phase variations. The device is expected to handle 5.2 W of continuous RF power.