Effects of the biasing network in a Parallel Plate waveguide periodic unit cell featuring switched Electromagnetic Band Gap

Electronically variable periodic electromagnetic structures present interesting features, which when efficiently exploited, can add value to telecommunication systems incorporating them. The main challenge related to the design of such structures is due to the need of an appropriate biasing network, which usually deteriorates the dispersion characteristics. This paper presents a numerical investigation on the effects of the presence of the biasing network on the full, 2D, dispersion diagram of a rectangular unit cell geometry consisting of an elliptical patch with variable number of shorting pins. The biasing network is supposed to command diodes, which in turn dynamically short-circuit the vias. The effects of the different components of the network are analyzed step-by-step as it is built up around the initially idealized geometry.