Reconfigurability analysis of an all-dielectric thermal microfluidic-based metasurface

Abstract

Metasurface tuning is performed using different ways for a wide range of applications. This study presents the design of a thermally-tuned all-dielectric reconfigurable metasurface. A microfluidic channel, filled with different concentrations of tellurium–selenium (Te-Se) alloy, is added on the top of the elliptical dielectric resonator (EDR) unit cell of the considered metasurface. The electrical properties of used semiconductor alloy are varied in the range of 400 to 700°C (steps size of 100°C). The impact of thermal tuning on the reflection and transmission characteristics of the designed metasurface is analyzed in the frequency range of 20–30 GHz using COMSOL Multiphysics. Obtained results demonstrated that the realized metasurface exhibits reconfigurable behavior in terms of variations in the reflection and transmission characteristics with a change in either temperature or concentrations of selenium and tellurium. The wider bands with high reflection and low transmission frequency bands are obtained with lower concentrations of selenium and tellurium for all operating temperatures.