Origami Tunable Frequency Selective Surfaces

A foldable frequency selective surface (FSS) is introduced that may be tuned by changing the folding state. The FSS comprises periodic elements arranged in an origami-like fashion on a dielectric sheet. By folding and unfolding the FSS, the interaction with the incident field and the mutual interactions between the elements may be altered, resulting in a shift in resonance frequency. A sample design of a tunable FSS folded into a chevron pattern and decorated with cross-shaped copper prints allows a 19% shift of resonant frequency with a change in folding angle of 60°.