Experimental Demonstration of a New Oscillator Concept Based on Degenerate Band Edge in Microstrip Circuit

Abstract: The first experimental demonstration of an oscillator based on a periodic, resonant microstrip circuit with a degenerate band edge (DBE) is presented. The DBE is a fourth-order exceptional degeneracy of the eigenmodes in a lossless periodic waveguide that is visible in the wavenumber-frequency dispersion diagram, and the periodic microstrip behaves as a frequency selective medium. The presence of the DBE condition and the associated DBE resonance allow for a stable, single-mode oscillation as well as stability with varying the load resistance.