Controlling the path of electromagnetic waves inside parallel plate waveguides using periodic surfaces

This paper overviews the potential applications and spectral domain analysis method of parallel plate waveguides which have one plate replaced by a periodic surface. The periodic surface is used in a way that allows control of the path that the electromagnetic wave. This is possible since by careful design of the periodic surface it can exhibit different surface impedance properties, from low impedance to very high impedance, even acting as artificial magnetic surface. Placing a conducting strip inside a parallel plate waveguide, with one high impedance surface wall, results in a novel transmission line with very strong confinement of the lateral field. The results of this analysis are shown and compared with results of commercial electromagnetic solvers.