Fig. 1. The insulator-metal-insulator model.

Fig. 2. Schematic diagram of the whole amplifier-integrated OMM.

Fig. 3. Geometrical parameters and dispersion curves of the typical SSPP waveguide and the OMM. (a) Geometrical parameters of the typical SSPP structure, where the width of the center strip is w fixed as 4 mm, the period of the unit is p, the width of the grooves is a and the width of the narrow strip is w₀. (b) Dispersion curves of the typical SSPP structure with varying a, where p = 1.5 mm, w₀ = 1 mm. (c) Dispersion curves of the typical SSPP structure with varying p, where a = 0.75 mm and w₀ = 1 mm. (d) Dispersion curves of the typical SSPP structure with varying w₀, where p = 1.5 mm, a = 0.75 mm. (e) Geometrical parameters of the OMM, where the width of the center strip is w₁ fixed as 4 mm, the period of the unit is p₁, the width of the narrow strip is w₀₁, the folding extent of the zigzag grooves is described by X and Y. (f) Dispersion curves of the typical SSPP structure with varying X, where w₁ = 4 mm, w₀₁ = 2.8 mm, a₁ = 0.3 mm, p₁ = 1.5 mm, Y = 0.2 mm.

Fig. 4. Cutoff frequency and decay factor curves with varying X, where the other parameters are the same with those in Fig. 3(f).

Fig. 5. Electric-field distributions of the cross sections of the SSPP structures at 15 GHz. (a–c) Absolute value of electric-field distributions on the cross-section of (a) even-mode of the typical SSPP (X = 0 mm) waveguide, (b) even mode and (c) odd mode of the OMM (X = 0.7 mm). (d) X-component, (e) Y-component and (f) Z-component of electric field of even mode of the OMM. (g) X-component, (h) Y-component and (i) Z-component of electric field of odd mode of the OMM. (j) X-component, (k) Y-component and (l) Z-component of electric field of slot line. (m) X-component, (n) Y-component and (o) Z-component of electric field of SOMM.

Fig. 6. The conversion structures. (a) Conversion structure between the quasi-TEM mode and odd-mode SSPPs, where 5 linearly gradient SSPP units are employed. (b) Simulated S-parameters of the conversion structure, where the OMM is composed of 46 units. (c) The compact conversion structure to convert odd-mode SSPP waves into voltage input of chips.

Fig. 7. Experiments of the amplifier-integrated OMM. (a) Top view of the sample. (b) Bottom view of the sample. (c) Measured S-parameters of the sample. (d) The photograph of the EM scanning system composed of a VNA and a monopole probe installed in a mechanical platform in an EM shielding chamber. (e, f) The measured near-electric-field distributions of the amplifier-integrated OMM sample at (e) 14 and (f) 16 GHz.

Fig. 8. Crosstalk suppression and low RCS properties of the OMM. (a) Coupling pair of SSPP channel. (b) Crosstalk of typical even-even coupling pair and odd-even coupling pair. (c) RCS of the OMM compared to that of a CPW with the same total size.

Fig. 9. Flexibility test of the amplifier-integrated OMM.

Table 0. Flexibility test of gain (dB) of the amplifier-integrated OMM.

Table 0. Geometrical parameters of the conversion structures.

Table 0. Normalized field integral of different modes.