MEMS tunable metamaterials surfaces and their applications

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are proposed as a technological solution for fabrication of metamaterials. This enables tunability of metamaterials effective properties and allows using metamaterials in wide range of applications. Low loss of the MEMS devices allows the metamaterials application to be extended to millimeter and submillimeter wave frequencies without compromising on performance. Electronic beam steering by MEMS tunable metamaterials at millimeter wavelength is considered and a prototype of a W band analog tunable phase shifter is demonstrated. The insertion loss of the fabricated MEMS tunable metamaterials surface varies from 0.7 dB to a maximum of 3.5 dB (at a resonance frequency). MEMS varactors have shown reliable and repeatable analog operation over 10⁸ cycles.