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.