Accurate modelling for the analysis and design of liquid-crystal-based microwave devices

Abstract

Liquid crystal substrates have been shown to provide the means to develop low-cost, reconfigurable, adaptive and tuneable microwave and MM-wave devices for mobile and wireless communication systems. However, techniques for the characterisation of materials, device fabrication and design are necessary in order to take maximum advantage of the possibilities that these materials offer. This includes appropriate modelling methods to simulate accurately the switching behaviour of the liquid crystal and the characteristics of the wave propagation through the devices, taking full consideration of the point-by-point variation of the material tensor permittivity. We describe these techniques here and show their application in the design of a meander-line phase shifter.

Design of a beam reconfigurable liquid crystal array antenna

“…Liquid crystal phase shifter controls the phase and other transmission properties of microwave by using external signals to control the relative permittivity of liquid crystal materials in microwave and millimeter wave structures [5][6][7]. Because of its low loss in high frequency band and electrical control characteristics, liquid crystal can make antenna equipment lighter, lower cost, faster and lower loss [8][9].…”