Finite Element Analysis of Millimeter and Sub-Millimeter Wave Gyroelectric Waveguide Components

Abstract

Gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium antimonide (InSb) are two candidate semiconductor materials for supporting nonreciprocal behavior at millimeter wave and sub-millimeter wave frequencies. Each material is characterized as a function of bias field/frequency and different operating regions are identified either side of the extraordinary wave resonance. An eigenvalue finite element formulation is developed to calculate the complex propagation constant for general gyroelectric waveguide structures. The solver is used to investigate nonreciprocal phase shift and attenuation in a transversely magnetized, semiconductor slab loaded waveguide in the various operating regions. Several potential regions of isolation and differential phase shift have been identified for exploitation in the millimeter wave range for GaAs and in the sub-millimeter wave range for InSb.