Observation of Radar Cross-Section Reduction Using Low-Pressure Plasma-Arrayed Coating Structure

Abstract

The coating layer of an electromagnetic (EM) wave scatterer with a thin collisional plasma structure was studied by using low-pressure fluorescent lamp parameters. The physical parameters of the designed plasma were obtained through analytical microwave interferometry measurements. Analytical solutions showed that the inventive coating system absorbed almost half of the incident X-frequency band. Accordingly, the radar cross section of a covered metallic surface in an anechoic chamber was measured and compared at on- and off-plasma states. A significant EM wave dissipation in the frequency band was observed using a thin low-pressure plasma absorber in this paper. Both qualitative tests and quantitative experimentations based on the EM scattering theory clearly verified the ability of the proposed practical coating structure in radar cross-section reduction. Moreover, a tangible numerical solution was prepared for both normal and varied incident angles. As a final point, the designed structure used in the far-field experiments paves the way for valuable applications, for instance, in reducing the radar cross section of huge antennas, in plasma frequency-selective surfaces, and in target shielding.