Microwave liquid-crystal variable phase grating

摘要

A voltage-controlled variable phase grating, at microwave frequencies, is described and its response characterized. It comprises a stack of 71 aluminium strips of 1 mm thickness separated by 75 mum spaces, filled with aligned nematic liquid crystal. For microwaves polarized normal to the grating strips there are a set of resonant transmitted frequencies. By varying the voltages applied across the liquid crystal layers and their distribution, a variable phase microwave grating is realized. This allows low-voltage control of output beam profile and intensity. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.