EM-enabled structural composites for radome applications

This proposal effort seeks to develop electromagnetic enabled structural material composites. The need for such materials is found in such applications as the E2 rotodome. These structural composites can play a crucial role RF performance. The proposal seeks to address these issues by employing novel metamaterial solutions to provide better impedance matching interfaces and beam steering capabilities. Furthermore, these electromagnetic solutions can be directly embedded into existing structural composites with relative ease making them an attractive solution to problems found in the E2 series aircraft. Typically the RF radome structures serve mechanical purposes with the electromagnetic performance impact as an afterthought. Clearly, the impact that these structures have on the electromagnetic performance must be addressed for applications like the E2 rotodome. Fortunately, the concept of designing structural material with built-in electromagnetic functionality has become a novel and exciting concept, and the team at Sensormetrix has lead in the development of pioneering such composites by using various metamaterial concepts.