Dispersion and field analysis of a microstrip meander-line slow-wave structure

A structure which is important as an example of a spatially periodic medium for microwave propagation is analyzed theoretically, with rigorous consideration of its partial dielectric composition, symmetry properties, and field configuration relating to its use for electron-wave interaction in a crossed-field amplifier (CFA). The analysis is carrier out in a quasi-TEM approximation, leading to determination of a complex potential function within the unit cell and the associated normal-mode parameters: effective dielectric constant, phase velocity, and characteristic impedance, as functions of phase per cell and mode symmetry.