4D printing of active mechanical and microwave photonic structures

Four-dimensional (4D) printing can provide new avenues for active, reconfigurable mechanical and photonic structures. In this talk, we present the developments achieved in our group. First, we demonstrate 4D printing of multistable mechanical structures and their thermal actuation. We have implemented rotational multistable structures employing shape memory polymers (SMPs). 4D printing of multistable structures can enable precisely controlled, large-magnitude, and rapid actuation without complicated control systems. Then, we present stimuli-responsive, Fano-resonant photonic lattices made of SMPs. Deformed lattices can be transformed to the original, ordered lattice upon heating, resulting in a drastic change in the microwave transmission spectrum. 4D printing can enable the realization of responsive and reconfigurable microwave structures, which may find creative applications in antennas and sensors for the Internet of things (IoT).