Presentation and Application of Tunable Reciprocal/Nonreciprocal Metamaterial Transmission Line Based on Edge-Guided Mode

Abstract

This article proposes a tunable composite right-/left-handed transmission line consisting of a transversely magnetized ferrite substrate periodically loaded by microstrip inductors. The gapless transition between the left- and right-handed bands (balanced response) is the main characteristic of this structure. This composite right-/left-handed transmission line is proposed in both reciprocal and nonreciprocal versions. Based on periodic structure analysis, the dispersion relation is estimated theoretically and validated numerically by the finite-element method in the reciprocal case. Theoretical and numerical results demonstrate the tunability of the proposed structures by changing the DC bias magnetic field applied to the ferrite. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed structure, a tunable nonreciprocal phase shifter is designed.

Keywords:

• left-handed transmission line
• magnetized ferrite substrate
• tunable phase shifter
• tunable metamaterial