Embedded Aperture-Based FSS Sensor

Frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) are two-dimensional periodic arrays of electrically conductive elements or apertures that have a specific electromagnetic reflection and/or transmission response. In this work, an aperture-based sensor design was proposed that is capable of sensing strain when embedded in a layered dielectric structure (i.e., an embedded sensor). An aperture approach was selected due to the potential for operation in reflection mode without a conductive backplane. The sensor was designed to operate within the K-band to improve the potential strain measurement resolution, as the unit cell dimensions are inversely related to the operating frequency and directly related to strain sensitivity. Simulation results for the small-scale strain range of 0-0.5% are presented, with a sensitivity of 20.4 MHz/O.1 % strain.