Microwave photonic crystal multiplexer and its applications

The application of photonic band gap (PBG) structures to a microwave switch is studied. For this purpose, a frequency selective multiplexer is implemented combining one-dimensional PBG structures. The tunability of microwave photonic crystals (PCs) with ferrites and/or ferroelectric materials is then considered. A theoretical calculation performed on a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice of air rods embedded in a rectangular ferrite slab shows that the PBG is well tunable with external magnetic field parallel to the air rod. We have also discussed the implementation of microwave switch combining the tunability of PBG structures of ferrite and/or ferroelectric materials and the frequency selective nature of PBG multiplexer.