Behavior of Periodic Coupled Microstrip Resonators

Thesis advisor: Krzysztof KempaThe resonant modes of a sequence of periodically spaced microstrip resonators is studied. The system is analyzed as transmission line with periodic capacitive gaps, as a waveguide with apertures via normal mode expansion, and through a derivation of the static fields in the gap between two microstrip resonators via conformal mapping. FDTD simulations are also performed to numerically calculate the resonant modes of the sequence and also its absorption spectrum when it contains a lossy dielectric. It is found, as expected, that when the gap size is large, the microstrip resonators are uncoupled and there resonant modes are unperturbed. As the gap size narrows, the resonators become strongly coupled, and changing boundary conditions perturb the resonant modes upwards in frequency. Moreover, an additional resonant mode is observed that does not correspond to any uncoupled mode.Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2011.Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: College Honors Program.Discipline: Physics Honors Program.Discipline: Physics