Architecture for sub-100 ms liquid crystal reconfigurable intelligent surface based on defected delay lines

Abstract

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, comprised of passive tunable elements, are emerging as an essential device for upcoming millimeter wave and terahertz wireless systems. A fundamental aspect of the device involves the tuning technology used to achieve reconfigurability. Among alternatives such as semiconductors and micro-electromechanical systems, liquid crystal offers advantages including cost- and power-effective large-panel scalability. In this context, conventional liquid crystal-based reconfigurable intelligent surface approaches face limitations in optimizing for bandwidth, response time and loss simultaneously, requiring trade-offs between them. Here we detail an architecture for a liquid crystal-based reconfigurable intelligent surface with compact defected delay lines that provide continuous, 360-degree tunability, enabling fast response time, wide bandwidth and low loss. A reconfigurable intelligent surface with a thin 4.6 μm liquid crystal layer is designed, fabricated, and characterized, exhibiting response times of 72 milliseconds, insertion losses below 7 dB, and a 6.8 GHz (10.9%) bandwidth at 62 GHz, all while utilizing a lossy glass substrate and gold as a conductor.