Modeling and Analysis of Composite Antenna Superstrates Consisting on Grids of Loaded Wires

We study the characteristics and radiation mechanism of antenna superstrates based on closely located periodical grids of loaded wires. An explicit analytical method based on the local field approach is used to study the reflection and transmission properties of such superstrates. It is shown that as a result of proper impedance loading there exists a rather wide frequency band over which currents induced to the grids cancel each other, leading to a wide transmission maximum. In this regime radiation is produced by the magnetic dipole moments created by circulating out-of-phase currents flowing in the grids. An impedance matrix representation is derived for the superstrates, and the analytical results are validated using full-wave simulations. As a practical application example we study numerically the radiation characteristics of dipole antennas illuminating finite-size superstrates.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures. In the second version we have clarified the analysis related to the prototype, and re-desinged the prototype antenn

Vector circuit theory for spatially dispersive uniaxial magneto-dielectric slabs

We present a general dyadic vector circuit formalism, applicable for uniaxial magneto-dielectric slabs, with strong spatial dispersion explicitly taken into account. This formalism extends the vector circuit theory, previously introduced only for isotropic and chiral slabs. Here we assume that the problem geometry imposes strong spatial dispersion only in the plane, parallel to the slab interfaces. The difference arising from taking into account spatial dispersion along the normal to the interface is briefly discussed. We derive general dyadic impedance and admittance matrices, and calculate corresponding transmission and reflection coefficients for arbitrary plane wave incidence. As a practical example, we consider a metamaterial slab built of conducting wires and split-ring resonators, and show that neglecting spatial dispersion and uniaxial nature in this structure leads to dramatic errors in calculation of transmission characteristics.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Journal of Electromagnetic Waves and Application

On Artificial Magneto-Dielectric Loading for Improving the Impedance Bandwidth Properties of Microstrip Antennas

In the present paper we discuss the effect of artificial magneto-dielectric substrates on the impedance bandwidth properties of microstrip antennas. The results found in the literature for antenna miniaturization using magnetic or magneto-dielectric substrates are revised, and discussion is addressed to the practically realizable artificial magnetic media operating in the microwave regime. Using a transmission-line model we, first, reproduce the known results for antenna miniaturization with non-dispersive material fillings. Next, a realistic dispersive behavior of a practically realizable artificial substrate is embedded into the model, and we show that frequency dispersion of the substrate plays a very important role in the impedance bandwidth characteristics of the loaded antenna. The impedance bandwidths of reduced size patch antennas loaded with dispersive magneto-dielectric substrates and high-permittivity substrates are compared. It is shown that unlike substrates with dispersion-free permeability, practically realizable artificial substrates with dispersive magnetic permeability are not advantageous in antenna miniaturization. This conclusion is experimentally validated.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, 5 tables, submitted to IEEE Trans. Antennas Propaga

On Impedance Bandwidth of Resonant Patch Antennas Implemented Using Structures with Engineered Dispersion

We consider resonant patch antennas, implemented using loaded transmission-line networks and other exotic structures having engineered dispersion. An analytical expression is derived for the ratio of radiation quality factors of such antennas and conventional patch antennas loaded with (reference) dielectrics. In the ideal case this ratio depends only on the propagation constant and wave impedance of the structure under test, and it can be conveniently used to study what kind of dispersion leads to improved impedance bandwidth. We illustrate the effect of dispersion by implementing a resonant patch antenna using a periodic network of LC elements. The analytical results predicting enhanced impedance bandwidth compared to the reference results are validated using a commercial circuit simulator. Discussion is conducted on the practical limitations for the use of the proposed expression.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figure

Magnification of Subwavelength Field Distributions at Microwave Frequencies Using a Wire Medium Slab Operating in the Canalization Regime

Magnification of subwavelength field distributions using a wire medium slab operating in the canalization regime is demonstrated using numerical simulations. The magnifying slab is implemented by radially enlarging the distance between adjacent wires, and the operational frequency is tuned to coincide with the Fabry-Perot resonance condition. The near-field distribution of a complex-shaped source is canalized over an electrical distance corresponding roughly to $3\lambda$, and the distribution details are magnified by a factor of three. The operation of the slab is studied at several frequencies deviating from the Fabry-Perot resonance.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figure

Decline of the boreal willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus) has been accelerated by more frequent snow-free springs

Climate change has influenced a range of species across the globe. Yet, to state a noted decline in the abundance of a given species as a consequence of a specific environmental change, for instance, spatially explicit long-term data are a prerequisite. This study assessed the extent to which prolonged snow-free periods in autumn and spring have contributed to the decline of the willow grouse, the only forest grouse changing into a white winter plumage. Time-series data of willow grouse numbers from summer surveys across the study area were integrated with local data on weather (snow cover), mammalian predator abundance and hunting intensity. Modelling was conducted with a hierarchical Bayesian Poisson model, acknowledging year-, area- and location-specific variability. The results show that while willow grouse numbers had decreased continuously across the study landscapes, the decrease was accelerated at the sites where, and during the years when the preceding April was the most snow-free. This indicates a mismatch between the change into a white winter plumage and the presence of snow, turning the bird into an ill-camouflaged prey. The results thus also confirm past hypotheses where local declines of the species have been attributed to prolonged snow-free periods. Across our study area, autumns and springs have become more snow-free, and the trend has been predicted to continue. Thus, in addition to conservation actions, the future of a species such as the willow grouse is also dependent on its ability to adapt to the changed environmental conditions.202

Experimental demonstration of sub-wavelength image channeling using capacitively loaded wire medium

In this letter we experimentally demonstrate a possibility to achieve significant sub-wavelength resolution of a near-field image channeled through a layer of an electromagnetic crystal. An image having radius of $\lambda/10$ has been realized using an electrically dense lattice of capacitively loaded wires. The loading allows to reduce the lattice period dramatically so that it is only a small fraction of the free-space wavelength. It is shown that losses in the structure only decrease the total amplitude of the image, but do not influence the resolution.Comment: 4 pages, 7 figures, submitted to PR