Ultra-Wideband, Thin Microwave Absorbers Based on Metal-Infused Nanoparticle Clusters (7147-100)

The goal of the proposed program is to realize novel materials that effectively absorb microwave radiation over the entire X- and Ku-Band frequency ranges (8 to 18 GHz), with thicknesses down to those that are appropriate for paints. The characteristics will be achieved through the development of novel composites that have dielectric constants that are easily tailored and which have a frequency dependence approaching 1/(frequency**2) over the range of interest. In addition, the dielectric constant can be varied readily through the fabrication process to meet different requirements. These characteristics will be achieved through the creation of a tailored insulator-conductor composite with a micro-geometry that results in a special type of dielectric relaxation. The materials will be flexible or paintable. The program includes the fabrication of small samples of the material and the testing of their microwave properties. As an option, methods for large scale fabrication will be experimentally demonstrated on a laboratory scale.