RFID-Based Reconfigurable Electromagnetic Devices

Abstract

Modern wireless communication systems are becoming increasingly necessary, emphasizing the need for electromagnetic devices that can flexibly operate under different conditions, e.g., under power constraints or in hostile environments where scattering objects randomly modify coverage areas and communication links. Due to their ability to dynamically change operating frequency, radiation pattern, bandwidth characteristics, and polarization, reconfigurable objects (especially antennas and backscattering surfaces) have received significant attention in this context. Electromagnetic features can be electronically selected by controlling the bias voltage of tunable elements adequately integrated into the layout. Usually, this is done by employing external programmable controllers that need power sources and wired connections, leading to unusable configurations for several scenarios. Thus, exploring alternative electronic tuning mechanisms becomes essential. This paper proposes RFID-Based Reconfigurable Electromagnetic Devices as a wireless, cost-effective, and low-power solution. The system’s operating principle, potential architectures, and applicability in practical scenarios are presented. Theoretical and experimental analysis validate the proposed architecture, whose capabilities are finally demonstrated by prototyping and testing two reconfigurable antenna arrays.