Innovative Hardware Technologies for Anti-Jam and Electromagnetic Attack Rejection in Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) Radars

The proposed research promises to replace current front-end limiter technologies, which do not provide the necessary growth potential for evolving threats, with a technology that does. This would enable design engineers to support MDA GMD radar, communication, and GPS systems advancing threat requirements by applying an advanced limiter technology that counters evolving threats while not affecting the front end insertion loss. This research will provide the basis for the development of Pseudo-Metamaterial Limiter (PML) structures that are created using actual High Power Microwave (HPM) threat type electromagnetic waveforms which will efficiently couple and clamp their damaging effects while not coupling to the desired signals thus minimizing insertion losses. During the proposed Phase II effort, first principles will be researched and combined with a functional device demonstration proving out the PML concept. Several identified research areas for PML structure formation include but are not limited to: extended direct current (DC), HPM, and H-Waveguide, UWB pulses. PML technology offers an alternative to conventional limiters and takes advantage of metamaterials and nanomaterials to accelerate this new approach into a device that will be easily integrated into RF systems. The PML requires neither external power source nor mil spec materials. This research will provide a new category of inexpensive, easily integrated, compact limiter technology that can grow with the evolving threat through the chaotic structure formation process. Development of high performance practical PML structures through experimentation and analysis will be investigated. Results: Several new PML devices will be fabricated and tested that will mitigate HPM, UWB and EMP destructive effects.