Verification of a plasma photonic crystal for microwaves of millimeter wavelength range using two-dimensional array of columnar microplasmas

Abstract

We experimentally verified that a microplasma assembly can create a functional dielectric layer for the propagation of electromagnetic waves as a “plasma photonic crystal.” A two-dimensional array in a square lattice was composed of columnar plasmas of about 2mm in diameter, and the transmitted microwaves at 70–75GHz showed a change of energy flow direction. This result is attributed to the fact that periodical structure is composed of individual plasma columns with a different dispersion than the ambient part and the experimental frequency range lies in the vicinity of the lowest band gap of the photonic crystal calculated theoretically.