# US 10,312,580 B1 · Class of nanomaterial-based tunable antennas > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,580 B1 - Document ID: US10312580B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/839,456 - Filed: 2017-12-12 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-18 - Assignees: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation - Applicants: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation - Inventors: Xing Lan; Vesna Radisic; Robert Miles Young; Nabil A. El-Hinnawy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312580B1 ## CPC - H01Q 1/38: formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support {(patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142)} - B41J 2/01: Ink jet - H01Q 3/247: {by switching different parts of a primary active element} - H01Q 9/27: Spiral antennas - H03B 5/12: active element in amplifier being semiconductor device (H03B5/14 takes precedence) - H05K 3/007: {Manufacture or processing of a substrate for a printed circuit board supported by a temporary or sacrificial carrier (H05K1/187, H05K3/20 and H05K3/4682 take precedence)} - H10W 70/098: {Applying pastes or inks, e.g. screen printing (H10W70/095 takes precedence)} - H10W 70/611: {for connecting multiple chips together} - H10W 70/641: {Adaptable interconnections, e.g. fuses or antifuses} - H10W 40/10: Arrangements for heating - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - H03B: GENERATION OF OSCILLATIONS, DIRECTLY OR BY FREQUENCY-CHANGING, BY CIRCUITS EMPLOYING ACTIVE ELEMENTS WHICH OPERATE IN A NON-SWITCHING MANNER; GENERATION OF NOISE BY SUCH CIRCUITS (generators adapted for electrophonic musical instruments G10H; masers or lasers H01S; generation of oscillations in plasma H05H) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A tunable antenna structure including a substrate and at least one radiating element configured on the substrate. The antenna structure further includes a plurality of nanomaterial-based phase changing material (PCM) switches configured in the radiating element so that current flowing through the radiating element passes through the PCM switches. The antenna structure also includes a heating device, such as a laser or a resistive heater, configured relative to the PCM switches and being operable to selectively heat the PCM switches to switch the PCM switches between an on crystalline state and an off amorphous state, where once the heat is removed, the PCM switch remains in the particular state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An antenna structure comprising: a substrate; at least one radiating element configured on the substrate; at least one nanomaterial-based phase changing material (PCM) switch configured in the at least one radiating element so that current flowing through the radiating element selectively passes through the PCM switch; and a heating device configured relative to the PCM switch and being operable to selectively heat the phase changing material to switch the PCM switch between a crystalline on state that allows the current flow through the PCM switch and an amorphous off state that prevents the current flow through the PCM switch, where the PCM switch remains in the particular crystalline or amorphous state when the heat is removed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the at least one PCM switch is configured in the at least one radiating element to change a frequency band, polarization and/or radiation pattern of the antenna structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the at least one PCM switch is a plurality of PCM switches positioned along the at least one radiating element so as to change the length of the radiating element for different frequency bands. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the at least one radiating element is at least one spiral radiating element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The antenna structure according to claim 4 wherein the at least one spiral radiating element is at least one Archimedean spiral arm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The antenna structure according to claim 5 wherein the at least one Archimedean spiral arm is two Archimedean spiral arms having corresponding antenna feed points at a center of the spiral arms. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the antenna structure is a linear dipole antenna array having circular polarization, and wherein the at least one radiating element is a first spiral radiating element including a plurality of electrically coupled patch elements and a second spiral radiating element including a plurality of electrically coupled patch elements, and wherein the at least one PCM switch is a plurality of PCM switches that electrically couple the patch antenna elements. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the antenna structure is a Yagi-Uda antenna. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the heating device is a laser. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the heating device is a resistive heater. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the at least one PCM switch is electrically coupled to the radiating element by wire or ribbon bonds. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the at least one PCM switch is electrically coupled to the radiating element by PCM contacts. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the at least one PCM switch is electrically coupled to the radiating element by three-dimensional printed interconnects. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The antenna structure according to claim 1 wherein the phase changing material is GeTe. ### Claim 15 An antenna structure comprising: a substrate; two Archimedean spiral arm radiating elements having corresponding antenna feed points at a center of the spiral arm radiating elements and being configured on the substrate; and a plurality of spaced apart nanomaterial-based phase changing material (PCM) switches configured in both of the radiating elements so that current flowing through the radiating elements selectively passes through the PCM switches, each PCM switch including a resistive heating device being operable to selectively heat the phase changing material to switch the PCM switch between a crystalline on state and an amorphous off state, where the PCM switch remains in the particular state when the heat is removed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The antenna structure according to claim 15 wherein the plurality of PCM switches are configured in the radiating elements to change a frequency band, polarization and/or radiation pattern of the antenna structure. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The antenna structure according to claim 15 wherein the phase changing material is GeTe. ### Claim 18 A linear dipole antenna array having circular polarization comprising: a substrate; a first spiral radiating element including a plurality of electrically coupled patch elements and a second spiral radiating element including a plurality of electrically coupled patch elements; and a plurality of spaced apart nanomaterial-based phase changing material (PCM) switches configured to electrically couple the patch antenna elements so that current flowing through the patch antenna elements selectively passes through the PCM switches, each PCM switch including a resistive heating device being operable to selectively heat the phase changing material to switch the PCM switch between a crystalline on state and an amorphous off state, where the PCM switch remains in the particular state when the heat is removed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The antenna array according to claim 18 wherein the plurality of PCM switches are configured in the radiating elements to change a frequency band, polarization and/or radiation pattern of the antenna array. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The antenna array according to claim 18 wherein the phase changing material is GeTe.