Optically reconfigurable balanced dipole antenna

In this paper, a new design for an optically reconfigurable printed dipole antenna is presented. A wideband coplanar waveguide (CPW) to coplanar strip (CPS) transition is used to feed the printed dipole. Two optically activated silicon switches, controlled using fibre optic cables and near infra-red laser diodes, are placed on small gaps in the dipole arms. The switches enable the dipole length to be optically controlled, thus facilitating frequency switching. Measured return loss results that compare well to the simulated values are also presented, showing a frequency shift of 10.5%.