On the EBGs of shielded 2D periodic structures with metal inclusions in the dielectric layer

Artificial media with effective refractive index can be built by inserting small metal inclusions in a bulk dielectric material. The possibility and effect of including such a material in a periodic structure realized in stripline technology have been investigated. It has been shown that the electromagnetic band-gaps that are displayed by the dispersion diagrams are displaced towards lower frequencies following metal loading. A calculated equivalent refractive index illustrates that metal loading has an effect similar to increasing the dielectric constant when conditions for effective media are met. The considered periodic structures have applications, among others, in filtering, antenna technology and signal integrity.