Artificial Kerr-type medium using microwave metamaterials for phase modulator

Abstract

Metamaterials have received extensive attention in recent years due to their exotic electromagnetic properties. Here, we investigate an artificial Kerr-medium based on microwave metamaterial for phase modulator application, which can offer a strong engineered anisotropic response. Moreover, the artificial Kerr-medium can be tuned by changing the capacitance loaded at the split gap of metamaterial unit cell, instead of directly applying E-field inside the medium. The unit cell of metamaterial is similar to Kerr cell. The proposed structure doesn't require high driving voltage and easily realizes Kerr effect, comparing to the natural Kerr crystals. Therefore, our structure fabricates and tests simply due to working at GHz frequency.