Frequency-agile microstrip patch antenna on a biased liquid crystal substrate

A frequency-agile microstrip patch antenna printed on a biased nematic liquid crystal (N-LC) substrate is accurately modelled. The dielectric properties of the N-LC are controlled through the strength of the bias voltage. The model is based on the solution of Poisson's equation coupled to a nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) describing the orientation of the directors in a non-homogeneous electric field. The coupled problem was solved using an iterative finite difference (FD) scheme. The obtained numerical results are compared and verified against measurements already published in the literature. Introduction: N-LCs have a plethora of applications in optical devices.