Evaluation of the possibilities of 3D-printing for the making of waveguide photonic crystals

The paper considers the possibilities of 3D printing technology for the manufacture of X-band waveguide photonic crystals. The photonic crystals for an EIA WR-90 standard rectangular waveguide with a cross section of 22,86 × 10,16 mm2 in the X-band were designed and manufactured. Numerical modeling of the reflection characteristics of photonic crystals of several designs in the OpenEMS software package was carried out. Based on the simulation results, the best types of the structures were selected, which were manufactured using the physical modeling technique by the fusion method of PETG plastic. Experimental study of the manufactured layouts and comparison of the experimental data with the numerical simulation data were performed. The best types of manufactured models of waveguide photonic crystals showed transmittance and reflection drop in the corresponding frequency bands of the order of 15-20 dB, which is acceptable for technical applications. The numerical modeling results are in good agreement with experiments, thus indicating the high efficiency and good control of the topology and dimensions of the manufactured photonic crystals’ structural elements in the used type of 3D printing technology.