Patent ID: 8659480

Claim:
A frequency reconfigurable antenna comprising: at least two antenna segments; and a photonic crystal positioned between the at least two antenna segments to selectably electrically connect or isolate the at least two antenna segments with respect to each other based on a conductive state of the photonic crystal, wherein the photonic crystal is configured to act as a switch and is further configured to have an on state in which the photonic crystal has a distorted state that electrically connects the at least two antenna segments by passing electromagnetic radiation therethrough and an off state in which the photonic crystal has an undistorted state that electrically isolates the at least two antenna segments by blocking electromagnetic radiation, wherein the photonic crystal has a dielectric constant that changes between the distorted and undistorted states, and wherein the photonic crystal is responsive to a biasing current applied thereto and is configured to be off in the undistorted state responsive to an absence of the biasing current being applied to the photonic crystal and wherein the photonic crystal is on in the distorted state responsive to the biasing current being applied to the photonic crystal.