Shift and elimination of microwave Fabry-Perot resonances in a dielectric covered with a thin metal layer

Abstract

In this paper, we consider a plane electromagnetic wave incident onto a dielectric plate, which has one surface covered with a thin layer of metal. An oblique incident angle was considered for the TE (s polarization in optic) and TM (p polarization) plane waves. The thin metal layer is treated as an infinitesimal thickness. It was characterized by a surface conductivity and accounted for by a tangential magnetic field component step induced by the current flow in the metal layer. Compact expressions, which describe the reflection, transmission and absorption in a dielectric plate covered with a thin layer of metal, have been obtained. It was shown that by choosing the appropriate surface conductivity, the Fabry-Perot transmission resonances can be shifted to the position where the maximum reflection is observed in the case of an uncovered dielectric. On the other hand, the elimination of the Fabry-Perot resonances can be also achieved by choosing a proper metal surface conductivity. Measurements of the reflection from the glass covered with a thin layer of metal have been performed in a wide microwave frequency range (2–12 GHz) revealing a large difference in the measured reflection coefficient from the dielectric and metalized surfaces. The measured results fit well with those calculated by employing analytical expressions obtained in this paper.