Stimulus Responsive Passive Electromagnetic Shielding for Microwave/RF Limiters

Under this SBIR, Imaging Systems Technology proposes to evaluate its novel propriety Plasma-sphereTM technology for use as a passive electromagnetic shielding material for protection against High Power Microwave (HPM) threats. HPM threats are a significant problem. DOD notes significant operational and strategic concerns over Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) specifically regarding High Power Microwave (HPM) weapons and High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse (HEMP) threats. Plasma can be used as an electromagnetic shield against HPM threats. A plasma based shield system offers distinct advantages and significant opportunities over traditional metallic shields. A plasma shields can dynamically change its shielding effectiveness in response to incident RF/microwave energy levels. It is lightweight and it offers broadband protection. The envisioned Plasma-sphere shield will be particularly useful as it allows easy containment of the plasma in a rugged shell. Plasma-sphere shield allows for easy retrofit to existing systems. The Plasma-spheres may be incorporated into a substrate and placed over an antenna aperture without modification to legacy systems. BENEFIT: If successful this work will lead to a low cost lightweight shield against RF and HPM threats. This is of use to the military but is also useful in certain industries in which microwaves are generated and used including the communication industry.