Investigation of an optically induced superstrate plasma for tuning microstrip antennas. Issue 6 (1st December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gamlath, Chris D.; Collett, Michael A.; Pang, Weiran; Benton, David M.; Cryan, Martin J.
• Is Part Of: IET optoelectronics. Volume 11:Issue 6(2017)
• Page Start: 230
• Page End: 236
• Publication Date: 2017-12-01
• Subjects: solid‐state plasma -- silicon -- elemental semiconductors -- microstrip antennas -- slot antennas -- antenna radiation patterns; optically induced electron‐hole plasmas -- optically induced superstrate plasma -- microstrip antenna tuning -- silicon -- radiation pattern tuning -- slot loaded microstrip patch -- miniature laser sources -- compact tunable package -- frequency response -- optically transparent ground plane -- optically tunable miniature antennas -- Si; Optoelectronics -- Periodicals; 621.36
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-opt.2016.0133
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-8768

Abstract

Abstract : Optically induced electron–hole plasmas in silicon are used to perform radiation pattern tuning. The antenna is a slot loaded microstrip patch and the effect of illumination is shown to produce beam switching in the radiation patterns of certain modes while other modes are left unaffected. The structure is specifically designed to make the best use of currently available miniature laser sources to form a compact tunable package. Modelled and measured results for tuning of the radiation patterns and frequency response are presented. The effect of the losses incurred by the plasma along with the losses in the optically transparent ground plane are quantified in both simulation and measurement. This forms the basis for designing other types of optically tunable miniature antennas based on the structure presented.