The gap waveguide as a metamaterial-based electromagnetic packaging technology enabling integration of MMICs and antennas up to THz

This paper presents new topics that will be lectured in the short course Metamaterials for Antennas within the European School of Antennas in Spring 2012. These relates to new so-called gap waveguides that are advantageous for use above 30 GHz, because they are quasi-TEM over wide bandwidth, and do neither require dielectric material nor conductive joints between metal parts. The gap waveguides originate from research on soft and hard surfaces that also are forerunners for EBG surfaces (acting as isotropic soft surfaces) and metamaterial cloaks (realized first by hard surfaces). The course will contain material related to all these topics, and in addition an overview of the last years research on the gap waveguides including experimental demonstration of principles as well as working hardware components. In this presentation special emphasis will be given to electromagnetic (EM) packaging, the principle of PMC packaging and integration of MMICs.