Ultrawideband radiators of high-power pulses

Abstract

Summary form only given. Investigations are directed to development of high-power (/spl sim/1 GW) sources of ultrawideband (UWB) nanosecond and sub-nanosecond pulses of radiation on the basis of multielement antenna systems. Using the previously developed approach, a novel compact UWB radiator presenting a combination of an electric monopole, magnetic dipole and TEM-antenna has been developed. These combined antennas are created to be excited by bipolar 1-ns and 2-ns long voltage pulses and, respectively, by monopolar 0.5-ns and 1-ns long pulses. Possibility to control the radiator pattern and efficiency by energy and peak power owing to the change of magnetic dipole geometry has been shown experimentally. In the optimum regime by the peak strength of the radiated field the efficiency by the energy and by the peak power was equal to 85% and 50% for a bipolar pulse and 60% and 20% for a monopolar pulse, respectively. The created antenna was used in the investigations of linear and rectangular four-element arrays. Linear arrays of two variants mounted in parallel and perpendicular to the electric field polarization direction were investigated. Interaction of radiators in the arrays including the one in the wave beam steering regime has been investigated. A comparative analysis of investigation results of different array variants of combined radiators excited by monopolar and bipolar pulses is presented. Bipolar pulse voltage generators with the amplitude up to 100 kV, repetition rate of 50 Hz and 1-2-ns pulse length have been developed for high-voltage tests of UWB radiators. Results of investigations of high-power sources of UWB radiation on the basis of single combined radiators excited by bipolar voltage pulses are presented.