Liquid Crystal Microstrip Prototipe S-Parameter Measurements

This paper presents a method for effectively characterizing the dielectric permittivity of nematic liquid crystals across a broad frequency range. These materials show significant potential for reconfigurable devices operating in microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies. To achieve this goal, an additive manufacturing technique is used to create a microstrip line that can be filled with liquid that acts as its substrate. The liquid crystal is then biased to modulate its permittivity. After manufacturing, a time-gating approach is used to extract the permittivity, eliminating the need for TRL calibration. Finally, the approach is validated through simulations and experimental results, which closely align with those reported using other methods in the bibliography.