Single-Layer High-Order Miniaturized-Element Frequency-Selective Surfaces

A new miniaturized-element frequency-selective surface is presented in this paper. This frequency-selective surface is made up of a 2-D periodic array of metallic loop and a wire grid of the same period printed on either side of a very thin substrate. Unique features of the new design include localized frequency-selective properties, high-order frequency response achieved by a single substrate, lack of passband harmonics in the frequency response, and very low frequency response sensitivity to the incidence angle. High-order frequency response is accomplished through the application of a thin substrate that allows considerable couplings between the elements on the two sides of the substrate. The layers´ couplings in conjunction with each layer characteristics are designed to produce a high-Q bandpass frequency response, in addition to a transmission zero. It is shown that by inserting variable capacitors in the gap between the metallic loops, the center frequency of the passband can be tuned over nearly an octave. In addition, using a cluster of loops as the unit cell and modifying the parameters of the loops within the cluster, a dual-band characteristic from a single-layer miniaturized-element frequency-selective surface can be achieved. A prototype sample of the miniaturized-element frequency-selective surface, whose unit cell can be as small as lambda₀ /12, is fabricated to verify the design performance through a standard free-space measurement setup. The transmission characteristic of the structure is measured and compared with numerical simulation results.