PACK POINTS
Shape shifters: Creating a new breed of antennas
The alloy in the antennas “can be bent, stretched, cut and twisted — and will return to its original shape.”
Antennas aren’t just for listening to the radio anymore. They’re used in everything from cell phones to GPS devices.
NC State research is revolutionizing the field of antenna design — creating shape-shifting antennas that open the door to a host of new uses in fields ranging from public safety to military deployment.
Modern antennas made from copper or other metals are limited as to how far they can be bent — and how often — before they break completely. NC State engineers have created antennas using an alloy that “can be bent, stretched, cut and twisted — and will return to its original shape,” said Dr. Michael Dickey, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and co-author of the research.
The researchers make the new antennas by injecting an alloy made of the metals gallium and indium, which remains in liquid form at room temperature, into very small channels the width of a human hair. The channels are hollow, like a straw, with openings at either end — but can be any shape. Once the alloy has filled the channel, the surface of the alloy oxidizes, creating a “skin” that holds the alloy in place while allowing it to retain its liquid properties.
The alloy makes an effective antenna that could be used in a variety of existing electronic devices, but its applications could also include monitoring bridge construction and uses in military equipment.
Others involved in the research include NC State doctoral students Ju-Hee
So, Amit Qusba and Gerard Hayes, undergraduate student Jacob Thelen, and University
of Utah professor Dr. Gianluca Lazzi, who participated in the research while
a professor at NC State. 