Dispersion control and radiation based on glide-symmetric spoof surface plasmon polaritons

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics
• Metamaterials
• Plasmonics

Background:

• Glide symmetry transmission lines (TLs) offer reduced frequency dispersion and merged passbands.
• Spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) are crucial for subwavelength waveguiding.
• Understanding dispersion and field distribution in glide-symmetric SSPPs is key for novel device design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dispersion characteristics and field distribution of single-layer and double-layer glide-symmetric SSPPs.
• To propose and analyze a novel T-shaped glide symmetric double-layer unit for enhanced performance.
• To demonstrate the suitability of the proposed unit for frequency scanning radiation and antenna applications.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulations were employed to analyze dispersion characteristics and field confinement.
• A T-shaped glide symmetric double-layer unit was designed and modeled.
• Experimental validation was performed to compare with simulation results.

Main Results:

• Double-layer SSPPs exhibit a stronger slow wave effect, beneficial for frequency scanning.
• The proposed T-shaped unit shows enhanced field confinement and greater control over dispersion.
• Continuous beam scanning over a large frequency and angle range was achieved.
• Experimental results closely matched numerical simulations.

Conclusions:

• The T-shaped glide symmetric double-layer SSPP unit demonstrates superior performance for beam scanning applications.
• This design facilitates highly compact plasmonic integrated circuits and systems.
• The radiation method is applicable to advanced antenna design.