Metamaterials as Complex Dielectrics in the Design of a New Class of Integrated Circuits

摘要

In this paper, we show how metamaterials can be used either to enhance the coupling values or to reduce the crosstalk between the strips of coupled microstriplines. Coupling between regular coplanar microstriplines, in fact, is limited, due to the small ratios between the characteristic impedances of even and odd TEM modes supported by the structure. The broadside configuration or the employment of an overlay are often utilized to overcome this limitation, leading, however, to more bulky components. On the other hand the coupling/crosstalk can be undesiderable in printed circuits. The employment of metamaterials with a negative real part of the permittivity is able to increase or decrease the coupling values, while keeping the profile of the structure very low. A quasi-static model of the structure is developed and physical insights on the operation of the proposed components and the role of the metamaterial loading are also given. Finally numerical results are shown for two proposed layouts.