Bandgap-tunable device realized by ternary plasma photonic crystals arrays

Abstract

We reported a bandgap-tunable device with ternary plasma photonic crystals (PPCs), achieving tunable bandgap for controlling the propagation of free-space electromagnetic waves from 11.5 GHz to 14.5 GHz. The device is designed as a square crystal structure composing ternary PPCs arrays. Both simulation and experimental results indicate that the transmission of the electromagnetic waves can be controlled by changing the plasma frequency, dielectric constant, and structure spacing in the device, realizing the dynamic adjustment of photonic bandgap bandwidth and center frequency. In addition, the plasma frequency was measured, which is consistent with the simulation results. Our strategy can be applied to design a variety of devices, including reconfigurable antennas, plasma lenses, and military-developed stealth equipment.