Experimental Study of Parameters of a Plasma Antenna

A plasma column excited by a surface wave can act as a plasma antenna. Experiments are carried out to study the current and conductivity distributions, field, power patterns, directivity and efficiency of such a plasma antenna. In addition, an equivalent metallic copper antenna is built up and its antenna parameters are compared with that of the plasma antenna. Our findings indicate that the power content in the harmonics of the plasma antenna is more prominent as compared to the copper antenna （which only generates a fundamental frequency）. However, the power patterns for both antennae are quite similar. To provide a more qualitative understanding regarding the generation of harmonics in the field of the plasma antenna, a bi-spectral analysis is performed to study the nonlinear interactions in the current fluctuations. Some specific features of the plasma antenna are investigated in our study, which may enhance the application prospect of the plasma antenna with respect to the conventional metallic antenna.

Essential Characteristics of Plasma Antennas Driven by One-ended Surface Wave

Based on the principle that one-ended electromagnetic surface wave can drive a plasma antenna, the relation between the effective length of an antenna column and the applied radio frequency （RF） power was studied both theoretically and experimentally. The density dis- tribution along the antenna column as well as the electron temperature in different conditions were investigated. The characteristics of the reception of local frequency modulated （FM） electro- magnetic wave by the plasma antenna were compared with that by a copper antenna with same dimensions. The results show that it is feasible to take plasma antennas as receiving ones.

Dual-Channel Communication of Column Plasma Antenna Excited by a Surface Wave——Actualization and Simulation of Radiation Pattern

Along with the introduction of the concept of dual-channel communication,we utilized the finite-difference time-domain（FDTD） method to simulate and measure the radiation pattern under certain plasma densities and plasma collision frequencies.Results show that under certain settings,the radiation pattern of a plasma antenna resembles that of a metallic antenna.In contrast to a metallic antenna,a plasma antenna possesses other functionalities,such as dynamic reconfiguration and digital controllability.The data from simulation are similar to the measurement results,indicating that column plasma antenna can realize dual-channel communication.This work confirms the viability of realizing dual-channel communication by column plasma antenna,which adds a new but promising method for modern intelligent communication.

Investigations of the Sheath Effect on the Resultant Magnetic Field of a Cylindrical Monopole Plasma Antenna

The functionality of the plasma antenna has been narrowed to types and brand names only. The physics of its operation has been neglected and has stagnated technological innovations. The magnetic field in the sheath and plasma were investigated. Notable specifications were worked out in the proposed improved cylindrical monopole plasma antenna. The occurrence of femto spin demagnetization was discovered between the duration of switch on and switch off of the antenna. This phenomenon seems transient because magnetization is highest at the switch on/off point.

Essential Characteristics of Plasma Antennas Filled with He-Ar Penning Gases

Based on the essential theory of Penning gases, the discharge characteristics of He-Ar Penning gases in insulating tubes were analyzed qualitatively. The relation between the effective length of an antenna column filled with He-Ar Penning gases and the applied radio frequency （RF） power was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The distribution of the plasma density along the antenna column in different conditions was studied. The receiving characteristics of local frequency modulated （FM） electromagnetic waves by the plasma antenna filled with He-Ar Penning gases were compared with those by an aluminum antenna with the same dimensions. Results show that it is feasible to take plasma antennas filled with He-Ar Penning gases as receiving antennas.

Numerical Simulation of Dual-Channel Communication of Column Plasma Antenna Excited by a Surface Wave

This paper focuses on the application of plasma as wireless antenna. In order to reveal the radiation characteristics of column plasma antenna, we chose the finite-difference time- domain （FDTD） numerical analysis method to simulate radiation impedance and efficiencies of each channel for a few sets of plasma densities and plasma collision frequencies. Simulation results demonstrate that a plasma antenna shares similar characteristics with a metallic antenna in radiation impedance and efficiency of each channel when an appropriate setting is adopted. Unlike a metallic antenna, a plasma antenna is capable of realizing such functions as dynamic reconfiguration, digital control and dual-channel communication. Thus it is possible to carry out dual-channel communication by plasma antenna, indicating a new path for modern intelligent communication.

A Self-Consistent Model on Cylindrical Monopole Plasma Antenna Excited by Surface Wave Based on the Maxwell-Boltzmann Equation

The paper analyzes the motion of electron in plasma antenna and the distribution of electromagnetic field power around the plasma antenna, and proposes a self-consistent model according to the structure of cylindrical monopole plasma antenna excited by surface wave;calculation of the model is based on Maxwell-Boltzmann equation and gas molecular dynamics theory. The calculation results show that this method can reflect the relationships between the external excitation power, gas pressure, discharge current and the characteristic of plasma. It is an accurate method to predicate and calculate the parameters of plasma antenna.

Characteristics of AC-biased Plasma Antenna and Plasma Antenna Excited by Surface Wave

Plasma’s conductive and dielectric properties have been well known for decades. Plasma antenna is a general terms representing using plasma as a conductive medium to transmit or reflect signals. It has unique properties like low RCS (radar cross section), variable impedance and instant on-off capability. Previous plasma antenna uses RF power to generate the plasma column. We developed AC-biased (alternating current) plasma antenna, which has larger operation frequency scale and lower sustaining power. Signals propagated are coupled into the plasma antenna via capacitive coupling. Impedance of the plasma shifts slightly with the AC current. Radiation pattern of the plasma antenna is less uniform than metal antenna and its gain is related to AC power, from the measuring results of AC-biased plasma antenna we found its advantages compare to the plasma antenna excited by the surface wave.

A Novel Structure of Slot-Antenna Array for Producing Large-Area Planar Surface-Wave Plasmas

The principle of surface wave plasma discharge in a rectangular cavity is introduced and the distribution of the electromagnetic field within a rectangular waveguide is analysed. A novel structure of a slot antenna array is presented. In comparison with the traditional slotantenna, it is shown that the designed slot antenna array can excite effectively the surface wave coupling into the chamber, and generate a stable large-area high-density plasma. These results are useful for exploring the optimized design of the slot-antenna for surface wave plasmas.

The Influence of Magnetic Field on Antenna Performance in Plasma

A spacecraft loses all forms of communication, including global positioning system signals, data telemetry, voice communication and so on, when it enters the communication blackout phase. This becomes more and more critical with the development of reentry vehicle missions since radio blackout brings about many serious issues related to vehicle safety. This paper studies the influence of magnetic field on antenna performance in plasma. The results indicate that the effect of plasma on the antenna performance can be negligible when the magnetic field reaches a certain strength. This provides another way to solve the reentry blackout problem.

Directional power absorption in helicon plasma sources excited by a half-helix antenna

This paper deals with the investigation of the power absorption in helicon plasma excited through a half-helix antenna driven at 13.56 MHz. The simulations were carried out by means of a code,HELIC. They were carried out by taking into account different inhomogeneous radial density profiles and for a wide range of plasma densities, from 10^（11） cm^（-3） to 10^（13） cm^（-3）. The magnetic field was 200, 400, 600 and 1000 G. A three-parameter function was used for generating various density profiles with different volume gradients, edge gradients and density widths. The density profile had a large effect on the efficient Trivelpiece–Gould（TG） and helicon mode excitation and antenna coupling to the plasma. The fraction of power deposition via the TG mode was extremely dependent on the plasma density near the plasma boundary. Interestingly, the obtained efficient parallel helicon wavelength was close to the anticipated value for Gaussian radial density profile.Power deposition was considerably asymmetric when the n/B_0 ratio was more than a specific value for a determined density width. The longitudinal power absorption was symmetric at approximately n_0 =10^（11） cm^（-3）, irrespective of the magnetic field supposed. The asymmetry became more pronounced when the plasma density was 10^（12） cm^（-3）. The ratio of density width to the magnetic field was an important parameter in the power coupling. At high magnetic fields, the maximum of the power absorption was reached at higher plasma density widths. There was at least one combination of the plasma density, magnetic field and density width for which the RF power deposition at both side of the tube reached its maximum value.

The Spatial Effects of Antenna Configuration in a Large Area Inductively Coupled Plasma System for Flat Panel Displays

Spatial distributions of plasma parameters such as electron density, electron temperature and electric potential were investigated using a commercial simulation software （COMSOLTM） to predict the effects of antenna configuration in a large area inductively cou- pled plasma （ICP） system for flat panel displays. Nine planar antenna sets were evenly placed above a ceramic window. While the electron density was influenced by both the input current and gas pressure, the electron temperature and electric potential were dominantly affected by the gas pressure.

Bi-Directional Excitation of Radio Frequency Waves Using a Helical Antenna in Non-Uniform Plasmas towards a Compact Magnetoplasma Thruster

Magnetoplasma thruster is one of the attractive plasma engines for space propulsion in future manned deep space exploration. Usually two helical antennas are equipped to produce and heat plasmas with separate radio frequency sources. It is presented in this paper that a helical antenna, which is used to launch one wave mode in one direction so far, exhibits bi-directional nature, where the waves with different mode numbers are launched and couple with electrons and ions selectively in opposite directions. A two-dimensional numerical calculation is performed to predict wave propagation and power absorption in a non-uniform hydrogen plasma immersed in a non-uniform external static magnetic field, based on the hot plasma theory. It is confirmed that appropriate choice of the excitation condition of the antenna can select axial propagation direction of specific wave modes and consequently select a species that absorbs power from generated waves. A small-scale experiment is performed to confirm the prediction of the calculation. By measuring a change in electron and ion temperatures due to the wave launch from the helical antenna, it is found that both the production and heating at different axial positions are accomplished simultaneously by one antenna showing that another type of the radio frequency driven magnetoplasma thruster would be achieved.

Improving the uniformity of RF-plasma density by a humped variable-gap spiral antenna

This paper develops a humped spiral antenna of top inductively coupled plasma with variable gap. Comparing with planar spiral antennae, it investigates the performance of humped spiral antennae in the calculated electromagnetic configurations and experimental results. It finds that the humped antenna has the improved uniformity of plasma density in the radial direction and the decreased electron temperature in the top inductively coupled plasma. By experimental and theoretical analyses, the plasma performance in the case of humped antennae is considered to be the combined results of the uniform electromagnetic configurations and the depressed capacitively coupling effect.

微波表面波等离子天线的电磁仿真

针对天线阵列激发电磁场的特性,通过矩形波导上使用槽天线来激发表面波等离子体(SWP)的方式构建了三维模型,并在HFSS软件上进行了仿真测试。仿真结果证实,槽天线由矩形波导转换的圆形波导传输,波导的长度和槽的数量都会影响微波能量耦合。在优化的天线结构中,谐振器中的电场强度比未优化的天线结构中的电场强度高一到两个数量级,并且具有更好的空间均匀性。验证了理论与仿真结果的一致性,先前的实验结果也可以部分验证仿真的正确性。总之,新的天线阵列可以帮助形成柱等离子体并增强其均匀性。

Numerical and Experimental Investigation on Electromagnetic Attenuation by Semi-Ellipsoidal Shaped Plasma

Some reports presented that the radar cross section （RCS） from the radar antenna of military airplanes can be reduced by using a low-temperature plasma screen. This paper gives a numerical and experimental analysis of this RCS-reduction method. The shape of the plasma screen was designed as a semi-ellipsoid in order to make full use of the space in the radar dome. In simulations, we discussed the scattering of the electromagnetic （EM） wave by a perfect electric conductor （PEC） covered with this plasma screen using the finite-difference-time-domain （FDTD） method. The variations of their return loss as a function of wave frequency, plasma density profile, and collision frequency were presented. In the experiments, a semi-ellipsoidal shaped plasma screen was produced. Electromagnetic attenuation of 1.5 GHz EM wave was measured for a radio frequency （RF） power of 5 kW at an argon pressure of 200-1150 Pa. A good agreement is found between simulated and experimental results. It can be confirmed that the plasma screen is useful in applications for stealth of radar antenna.

Reference Design of ICRF Antenna for EAST

An antenna array suitable for plasma heating and current drive has been designed for the ion cyclotron resonance frequency range （ICRF） heating on the EAST superconducting tokamak. The ICRF heating is planned to operate in a frequency range of 30 MHz to 80 MHz and hence the antenna geometry is optimized for 55 MHz. The design is based on the conventional strap antenna element. The coupling properties of the antenna are calculated with a slab model of the plasma for the antenna simulation. The coupling code is extended for the analysis of the toroidal antenna array separated by septa.

Studies on omnidirectional enhancement of giga-hertz radiation by sub-wavelength plasma modulation

The technology of radio frequency （RF） radiation intensification for radio compact antennas based on modulation and enhancement effects of sub-wavelength plasma structures represents an innovative developing strategy. It exhibits important scientific significance and promising potential of broad applications in various areas of national strategic demands, such as electrical information network and microwave communication, detection and control technology. In this paper, laboratory experiments and corresponding analyses have been carried out to investigate the modulation and enhancement technology of sub-wavelength plasma structure on the RF electromagnetic radiation. An application focused sub-wavelength plasma-added intensification up to ~7 dB higher than the free-space radiation is observed experimentally in giga-hertz （GHz） RF band. The effective radiation enhancement bandwidth covers from 0.85 to 1.17 GHz, while the enhanced electromagnetic signals transmitted by sub-wavelength plasma structures maintain good communication quality. Particularly, differing from the traditional RF electromagnetic radiation enhancement method characterized by focusing the radiation field of antenna in a specific direction, the sub-wavelength plasma-added intensification of the antenna radiation presents an omnidirectional enhancement, which is reported experimentally for the first time. Corresponding performance characteristics and enhancement mechanism analyses are also conducted in this paper. The results have demonstrated the feasibility and promising potential of sub-wavelength plasma modulation in application focused RF communication, and provided the scientific basis for further research and development of sub-wavelength plasma enhanced compact antennas with wide-range requests and good quality for communication.

一种宽频带等离子体天线

利用等离子体对电磁波的独特响应,设计了一种可工作于30~512 MHz的新型超宽带等离子体天线。给出了等离子体天线的设计方法,说明了天线的系统组成,采用新形式及阻抗匹配网络实现了天线良好匹配;分析了等离子体天线的低雷达散射截面(RCS)特性;突破关键技术,研制了一套超宽带等离子体天线样机,测试了天线的匹配和辐射特性,测试结果与仿真结果互相吻合。研究成果可推广应用于各类低RCS载体平台的微波通信天线系统中。

基于S-PIN二极管的频率可重构缝隙芯片天线研究

为了实现高度集成化的片上可重构天线系统,利用硅基固态等离子体表面PIN(S-PIN)二极管技术,设计了一种C—Ku波段频率可重构的领结型缝隙芯片天线。文中讨论了利用S-PIN二极管作为芯片天线频率可重构部件的设计标准,并对S-PIN二极管的结构参数进行了分析。通过控制S-PIN二极管的截止/导通状态,提出的缝隙芯片天线可以实现从6.7 GHz到17.97 GHz的工作频率可重构,增益分别为4.63 dBi和3.4 dBi。在实际的流片和测试过程中发现,文中研制的S-PIN二极管具有良好的伏安特性。此外,固态等离子体天线工作在C波段和Ku波段时的实际中心工作频点分别位于6.6 GHz和17.9 GHz,与仿真结果相比具有良好的一致性,验证了S-PIN二极管在制造频率可重构芯片天线方面的潜力。