Pixel reconfigurable antennas: towards low-complexity full reconfiguration

Abstract

The explosive growth of wireless communications has brought new requirements in terms of compactness, mobility and multi-functionality that make reconfigurable antennas excellent candidates for future wireless networks. Pixel antennas are particularly interesting due to their ability to dynamically reshape its active surface to change their properties. Despite their outstanding reconfigurability, pixel antennas require a level of complexity and cost that prevents their implementation in commercial systems. In this paper we cover the main concepts for the design and optimization of pixel antennas and propose novel pixel architectures. These new pixel structures allow us to reduce the antenna complexity, maximize their reconfigurability and eventually contribute to the development of pixel antennas from a conceptual structure to a practical reconfigurable architecture.