Plasma Limiter: RF Mitigation Device for Operation in Stressing Environments

The widespread use of communication devices and radar systems has made our society increasingly vulnerable to disruptive, high-power, short pulse electromagnetic interference (EMI) and high power microwaves (HPM). Significant advances in devices that produce these high-power, short pulses have been made in the US and abroad in the past few decades. As a result, the need for devices that can protect sensitive communications equipment from such disruption is greater than ever. The primary objective of the proposed Phase I program is the development of a microstrip plasma limiter to protect phased array antennas with hybrid microwave integrated circuitry (HMIC). The microstrip plasma limiter has target specifications of 10kW power handling, <1 nsec response time, and <.5 dB insertion loss. The microstrip limiter will operate on the same principle as our X-band waveguide plasma limiter.