Voltage tunable laminated dielectric materials for microwave applications

A microstrip line comprising:

• a first layer of dielectric material;
• a second layer of dielectric material positioned adjacent to said first layer of dielectric material, said second layer of dielectric material having a dielectric constant that is less than a dielectric constant of said first layer of dielectric material;
• first and second electrodes for applying a first controllable voltage across said first layer of dielectric material, thereby controlling the dielectric constant of said first dielectric material, wherein one of said first and second electrodes is positioned between said first and second layers of dielectric material;
• a ground plane positioned adjacent to a first edge of each of said first and second layers;
• and
• a microstrip positioned adjacent to a second edge of each of said first and second layers.

A tunable dielectric structure comprising:

• a first layer of dielectric material, having a dielectric constant greater than 100;
• a second layer of dielectric material, having a dielectric constant less than 30, positioned adjacent to said first layer of dielectric material;
• a third layer of dielectric material, having a dielectric constant greater than 100, positioned adjacent to said second layer of dielectric material;
• means for applying a first controllable voltage across said first layer of dielectric material, thereby controlling the dielectric constant of said first layer of dielectric material;
• and
• means for applying a second controllable voltage across said third layer of dielectric material, thereby controlling the dielectric constant of said second layer of dielectric material;
• wherein the first, second and third layers of dielectric material each have a thickness of less than one tenth of a wavelength of a signal to be transmitted through the structure.