RF advancements enabled by smart shape memory materials in the microwave Regime: A state-of-the-art review

Shape memory materials (SMMs) have emerged as highly promising candidates for radio frequency (RF) applications, resulting in numerous innovations and remarkable advancements in the field. Among the diverse types of SMMs, shape memory alloys (SMAs) and shape memory polymers (SMPs) have garnered significant attention and consideration for their potential in RF innovations. These smart materials enable the design of selfactuating and self-reconfigurable devices, overcoming the inherent limitations of conventional RF switching technologies by offering a broad range of reconfigurability with enhanced linearity and superior power handling capability, rendering them ideal for reconfigurable antennas and metasurfaces. In this comprehensive review, we conduct an in-depth analysis of these SMMs and their applications in the RF domain, along with the challenges and opportunities that exist in this area. We also discuss the future outlook of SMMs for RF applications and identify the key areas of research and development that need to be addressed to bring these technologies to the mass market. We believe this review will serve as a valuable resource for researchers seeking to develop new SMMs tailored to the specific requirements of RF applications.