SCATTERING FROM STRUCTURED SLABS HAVING 2-DIMENSIONAL PERIODICITY

A structured slab, which is formed by repeating a unit cell along a two-dimensional lattice, is used extensively in the aerospace industry as a construction material because it has a high strength-to-weight ratio. Recently, loss has been added to the thin plates that form the unit cell to alter the slab's electromagnetic scattering characteristics. The problem of a plane wave incident on a structured slab is examined. To analyze the described problem, an electric field integral equation (EFIE) is derived that has as its unknown the equivalent surface currents on the plates in the unit cell. The integral equation is discretized and solved approximately using the method of moments with subdomain basis and testing functions. The periodic Green's function is efficiently calculated using the Poisson summation formula. The interaction of the structure with the surrounding environment is described in terms of a generalized scattering matrix. Results are presented showing the reflection coefficient as a function of frequency for arrays of zigzagging strips and honeycomb slabs.