Electromagnetic coupling of coplanar waveguides and microstrip lines to highly lossy dielectric media

The spectral-domain technique is utilized to analyze the coupling characteristics of coplanar waveguides and microstrip lines coupled with multilayer lossy dielectric media. Numerical results illustrating the dispersion characteristics of coplanar and microstrip lines, as well as the various electric field components coupled to highly lossy dielectric media, are presented. It is shown that the presence of a superstrate of lossless dielectric between the coplanar waveguide and the lossy medium plays a key role in setting up an axial electric field component that facilitates leaky-wave-type coupling to the lossy medium. The thickness of the superstrate relative to the gap width in the coplanar waveguide is important in controlling the magnitude of this axial electric field component. The coupling characteristics of the microstrip and coplanar lines are compared, and results generally show improved coupling if coplanar waveguides are utilized. Values of the attenuation constant alpha are higher for coplanar waveguide than for microstrip line, and for both structures alpha decreases with frequency.<
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