Microwave Frequency Range Research Articles

Structure property correlation of (1-x)MgTiO3 - xSrTiO3 microwave dielectric ceramics for dielectric resonator antenna applications

The current paper reports on the crystal structure, microwave dielectric properties as well as the antenna parameters of (1-x)MgTiO3 - xSrTiO3 (abbreviated as (1-x)MT-xST) for x = 0.025, 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 ceramic based dielectric resonator antennas (DRAs). The (1-x) MT - xST samples have been prepared with the help of a solid-state reaction route. The SrTiO3 was introduced to MgTiO3 as a τf compensator for developing a tunable τf material. Rietveld refinement results of X-ray diffraction data suggest that all the samples exhibit a combination of two crystallographic phases i.e., rhombohedral (R-3) + cubic (Pm-3m). The SEM micrographs show clear and well-defined grains for (1-x)MT - xST (for x = 0.025–0.1) ceramics. The modes of vibration of the crystal structures of the materials have been identified by the Raman spectroscopy method. The bond strength, bond valency, bond energy, and tolerance factor have been determined for (1-x)MT - xST (for x = 0.025–0.1) materials. The microwave dielectric performances of ceramics have been analyzed over a frequency band of 1–10 GHz. It has been found that the dielectric constant is almost constant along the microwave frequency range. The behavioral change of tuned temperature coefficient of resonant frequency (τf) along with quality factor have been reported. Besides, DRAs have been formed using all ceramic compositions, and simulations were performed to determine the various antenna properties, such as efficiency, input impedance, radiation properties, gain, and reflection coefficient. This study supports the use of microwave dielectric ceramics in antenna fields and highlights the enormous potential of (1-x)MT - xST for (x = 0.05) materials in communication systems.

A short review on toughened epoxy based nanocomposites for EMI shields

Modern era devices and appliances require shielding from electromagnetic interference to ensure stable and efficient functioning. This is all the more pertinent in view of the safety and protection of electronic gadgets used in defence security equipment. It has been observed that the most prominent radiations of EMI fall in the range of microwave (GHz) and radio waves (MHz). Those materials which protect equipment from electromagnetic interference are called EMI shields, since they shield the equipment by eitherreflecting, absorbing or transmitting the electromagnetic radiation. However, not all materials can be used as EMI shields. The basic material requirement to be used as EMI shields include good magnetic permeability and dielectric properties as well as strong mechanical properties. Currently EMI shields made up of metals or silicones are used in the form of solid enclosures, cables, gaskets, O-rings, films, coatings, fabrics, tapes etc. With time and research new advanced lightweight materials have been developed which have shown potential for use as EMI shields. These include carbonaceous and ferrite nanofillers based polymer nanocomposites. These materials are unique because they provide shielding for a wide range of microwave frequency 2-18 GHz by a judicious choice of conductive, dielectric and magnetic nanofillers. The present review article provides an overview of the research work carried out on toughened epoxy (epoxy modified with other polymers) filled with multifunctional nanoparticles and their characterization for EMI shielding efficiency. Various factors and features have been critically analysed in this article. The entire focus of the article is aimed atToughened epoxy as a base matrix which cansupport EMI shielding in the complete frequency range of 2-18 GHz and overcome inherent disadvantages of non-toughened epoxy.

Study of a cubic cavity resonator for gravitational waves detection in the microwave frequency range

The direct detection of gravitational waves (GWs) of frequencies above MHz has recently received considerable attention. In this work, we present a precise study of the reach of a cubic cavity resonator to GWs in the microwave range, using for the first time tools allowing to perform realistic simulations. Concretely, the boundary integral—resonant mode expansion (BI-RME) 3D method, which allows us to obtain not only the detected power but also the detected voltage (magnitude and phase), is used here. After analyzing three cubic cavities for different frequencies and working simultaneously with three different degenerate modes at each cavity, we conclude that the sensitivity of the experiment is strongly dependent on the polarization and incidence angle of the GW. The presented experiment can reach sensitivities up to 1×10−19 at 100 MHz, 2×10−20 at 1 GHz, and 6×10−19 at 10 GHz for optimal angles and polarizations, and where in all cases we assumed an integration time of Δt=1 ms. These results provide a strong case for further developing the use of cavities to detect GWs. Moreover, the possibility of analyzing the detected voltage (magnitude and phase) opens a new interferometric detection scheme based on the combination of the detected signals from multiple cavities. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Reststrahlen band infrared damping, microwave transparent AlN/polymeric film filters

The low-temperature (t ≈ 20–30 °C) technology of hybrid helicon-arc ion-plasma deposition to grow the amorphous AlN layers on polymeric substrates for getting the IR blocking filters was used. Flexible substrates based on Mylar, Polyethylene Terephthalate/BaSO4 filling and Teflon polymeric films were applied to grow the AlN layers having the Reststrahlen Band at λ∼11–17 μm for filters, which are damping the IR radiation in this spectral region. The Polyvinyl chloride polymeric films without coatings and the Mylar/AlN structures were used to make composed damping filters for spectral range λ∼7.5–25 μm. The transparency of such composed filters in the spectral range λ ∼7.5–25 μm can suppress about 96–98 % of radiation from the objects being at t ∼310 K. In this spectral range, the objects radiate ∼75 % of the total radiated power from a black body in the full EM band spectra. An explanation of the behavior's peculiarities of the spectral dependences of the IR reflectance of polymeric films/AlN structures with using the classical dielectric function model was proposed. The transparency of all polymeric/AlN structures in the microwave frequency range (ν = 60–270 GHz) gains T ≥ 80–90 %.

Review of the Capacity to Accurately Detect the Temperature of Human Skin Tissue Using the Microwave Radiation Method.

Microwave radiometry (MWR) is instrumental in detecting thermal variations in skin tissue before anatomical changes occur, proving particularly beneficial in the early diagnosis of cancer and inflammation. This study concisely traces the evolution of microwave radiometers within the medical sector. By analyzing a plethora of pertinent studies and contrasting their strengths, weaknesses, and performance metrics, this research identifies the primary factors limiting temperature measurement accuracy. The review establishes the critical technologies necessary to overcome these limitations, examines the current state and prospective advancements of each technology, and proposes comprehensive implementation strategies. The discussion elucidates that the precise measurement of human surface and subcutaneous tissue temperatures using an MWR system is a complex challenge, necessitating an integration of antenna directionality for temperature measurement, radiometer error correction, hardware configuration, and the calibration and precision of a multilayer tissue forward and inversion method. This study delves into the pivotal technologies for non-invasive human tissue temperature monitoring in the microwave frequency range, offering an effective approach for the precise assessment of human epidermal and subcutaneous temperatures, and develops a non-contact microwave protocol for gauging subcutaneous tissue temperature distribution. It is anticipated that mass-produced measurement systems will deliver substantial economic and societal benefits.

Dielectric Characterization of H2O and CO2 Uptake by Polyethylenimine Films.

The absorption of CO2 by polyethylenimine polymer (PEI) materials is of great interest in connection with proposed carbon capture technologies, and the successful development of this technology requires testing methods quantifying the amount of CO2, H2O, and reaction byproducts under operating conditions. We anticipate that dielectric measurements have the potential for quantifying both the extent of CO2 and H2O absorption within the PEI matrix material as well as insights into subsequent reaction byproducts that can be expected to occur in the presence of moisture. The complexity of the chemistry involved in this reactive binding process clearly points to the need for the use of additional spectroscopic techniques to better resolve the multiple components involved and to validate the model-dependent findings from the dielectric measurements. Here, we employed noncontact resonant microwave cavity instrumentation operating at 7.435 GHz that allows for the precise determination of the complex dielectric permittivity of CO2 films exposed to atmospheres of controlled relative humidity (RH), and N2:CO2 compositions. We find that the addition of CO2 leads to a considerable increase in dielectric loss of the PEI film relative to loss measured in nitrogen (N2) atmosphere across the same RH range. We attribute this effect to a reaction between CO2 and PEI generating a charged dielectrically active species contributing to the dielectric loss in the presence of moisture. Possible reaction mechanisms accounting for these observations are discussed, including the formation of carbamate-ammonium pairs and ammonium cations stabilized by bicarbonate anions that have sufficient local mobility to be dielectrically active in the investigated microwave frequency range. Understanding of these reaction mechanisms and the development of tools to quantify the amount of reactive byproducts are expected to be critical for the design and optimization of carbon capture materials.

Stimulated Emission of Signal Photons from Dark Matter Waves.

The manipulation of quantum states of light has resulted in significant advancements in both dark matter searches and gravitational wave detectors. Current dark matter searches operating in the microwave frequency range use nearly quantum-limited amplifiers. Future high frequency searches will use photon counting techniques to evade the standard quantum limit. We present a signal enhancement technique that utilizes a superconducting qubit to prepare a superconducting microwave cavity in a nonclassical Fock state and stimulate the emission of a photon from a dark matter wave. By initializing the cavity in an |n=4⟩ Fock state, we demonstrate a quantum enhancement technique that increases the signal photon rate and hence also the dark matter scan rate each by a factor of 2.78. Using this technique, we conduct a dark photon search in a band around 5.965GHz (24.67 μeV), where the kinetic mixing angle ε≥4.35×10^{-13} is excluded at the 90% confidence level.

Optomechanical Microwave-to-Optical Photon Transducer Chips: Empowering the Quantum Internet Revolution.

The first quantum revolution has brought us the classical Internet and information technology. Today, as technology advances rapidly, the second quantum revolution quietly arrives, with a crucial moment for quantum technology to establish large-scale quantum networks. However, solid-state quantum bits (such as superconducting and semiconductor qubits) typically operate in the microwave frequency range, making it challenging to transmit signals over long distances. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop quantum transducer chips capable of converting microwaves into optical photons in the communication band, since the thermal noise of optical photons at room temperature is negligible, rendering them an ideal information carrier for large-scale spatial communication. Such devices are important for connecting different physical platforms and efficiently transmitting quantum information. This paper focuses on the fast-developing field of optomechanical quantum transducers, which has flourished over the past decade, yielding numerous advanced achievements. We categorize transducers based on various mechanical resonators and discuss their principles of operation and their achievements. Based on existing research on optomechanical transducers, we compare the parameters of several mechanical resonators and analyze their advantages and limitations, as well as provide prospects for the future development of quantum transducers.

MICROWAVE ABSORBERS BASED ON MÖBIUS STRIP RESONATORS

The paper deals with technology of manufacturing of microwave absorbers with ordered and structured surface layer. This layer contains Möbius strip resonators, located on the fixed distance from each other. The technology was developed by the authors on the base of the following data: 1) results of theoretical study of microwaves interaction with Möbius strip resonator; 2) results of experimental study of electromagnetic radiation reflection, transmission and absorption coefficients in the microwave frequency range of the experimental samples of microwave absorbers based on Möbius strip resonators, which differ by the distance between these resonators. It was established on the base to the listed results that the microwave absorbers manufactured in accordance to the technology proposed by the authors are wide-band ones. Electromagnetic radiation absorption coefficient values of these absorbers changes from 0.5 to 0.97 in frequency range 2.0–17.0 GHz if the distance between the Möbius strip resonators containing in their surface layer, is 15.0 mm. If the distance between the Möbius strip resonators containing in the surface layer of the considered absorbers is less than 15.0 mm their electromagnetic radiation absorption coefficient in the indicated frequency bands is lower than presented values. The considered absorbers are promising for use in shielded rooms and anechoic chambers.

On the Development of Inkjet-Printed Band Pass Filters Based on the Microstrip Hairpin Structure

In recent years, inkjet printing has emerged as a promising advanced fabrication technology in the field of electronics, offering remarkable advantages in terms of cost-effectiveness, design flexibility, and rapid prototyping. For these reasons, inkjet printing technology has been widely adopted in various applications, including printed circuit board fabrication, sensor development (e.g., temperature, humidity, and pressure sensing), and antenna and filter production, up to the microwave frequency range. The present paper is focused on the investigation of a methodology based on Monte Carlo simulations for quantitatively assessing the influence of fabrication tolerances on the performance of inkjet-printed microwave devices. In particular, the proposed methodology is applied to an inkjet-printed hairpin band pass filter specifically tailored for operation in the L band (i.e., from 1 GHz to 2 GHz). The initial design phase involved the use of computer aided design (CAD) software to optimize the geometric dimensions of the designed filter to closely match the desired performance specifications in terms of bandwidth, insertion loss, and return loss. Later, a Monte Carlo analysis was conducted to evaluate the propagation of tolerances in the fabrication process throughout the design and to estimate their effects on device performance. The fabrication process exploited the advanced capabilities of the Voltera inkjet printer, which was used to deposit a silver-based conductive ink on a commercial Rogers substrate. The device’s performance was evaluated by comparing the simulated scattering parameters with those measured on the developed filter using a vector network analyzer (VNA), thus ensuring accurate validation of real-world performance.

Microwave Metamaterial Absorber with Radio Frequency/Direct Current Converter for Electromagnetic Harvesting System

This article presents the analysis of the electromagnetic (EM) properties of a novel metamaterial (MM) array in the microwave frequency range. The background for this work is the rapid development of portable devices with low individual energy consumption for the so-called “Internet of Things” (IoT) and the demand for energy harvesting from the environment on a micro scale through harvesters capable of powering billions of small receivers globally. The main goal of this work was to check the potential of the novel MM array structure for EM energy harvesting. The proposed MM array was analyzed in the CST Studio simulation environment. This resulted in the determination of the substitute average EM parameters (absorption, reflection, and transmission) of the MM array. Then, the MM array was manufactured, and the simulation results of the MM array parameters were experimentally validated in a microwave waveguide test system. Based on this conclusion, a prototype of the microwave MM absorber, together with an RF/DC converter, was designed and manufactured for harvesting EM energy from the environment. The system’s energy efficiency was evaluated, and its potential application in energy harvesting technology was appraised. Using a microwave horn antenna, the EM energy harvesting efficiency of the prototype was evaluated. It was about 50% at a microwave frequency of about 2.6 GHz. This may make the prototype attractive as an EM energy harvester or bolometric sensor.

Design and equivalent circuit modelling of super compact ultrathin metamaterial absorber for microwave frequency Regime

Abstract This article is an attempt to design and develop a metamaterial-based microwave absorber with a low profile, broad incidence angle and compactness in the microwave frequency range. Further, equivalent circuit model of the proposed structure is discussed based on circuit theory. The unit cell focuses on achieving maximum absorption at C-, X-, and K-band. The dimensions of the proposed design are ultrathin and compact, having an overall size of 8 mm × 8 mm × 0.8 mm. The dimensions are optimized in such a fashion to achieve three different peaks at three various bands (C, X and K), thereby making the triple-band behaviour of the metamaterial absorber possible. The structure provides absorption of 98.26 % absorption at 7.76 GHz (C-band) while absorption of 96.74 % is achieved at 10.26 GHz (X-band) and 99.92 % absorption at 19.32 GHz (K-band) of microwave regime. The experimental verification of design conform that the measured results are found to be in close agreement to simulated ones.

Shielding effectiveness of textile woven fabric with conductive weft in microwave frequency range

Abstract The article examines the shielding effectiveness of fabrics with conductive fibres in the microwave frequency range. Because of the limited size of the samples and high frequency range, the methods presented in literature could not be applied in this research. The method proposed, using a special measurement setup, demonstrated practicality for smaller textile samples. The results showed an angular dependence of shielding effectiveness, suggesting the need for perpendicular orientation of conductive fibres in fabrics to maximize shielding. This research provides knowledge on tailored solutions to mitigate electromagnetic interference in modern electronic technologies.

Parasitic modulation effect caused by dynamic plasma in low frequency

Abstract-dynamic plasma sheath can severely interfere with the communication of hypersonic vehicles during atmospheric reentry. Theoretical and experimental results show that low-frequency (LF) electromagnetic (EM) waves could penetrate the plasma sheath, building a feasible method to solve the “radio blackout” problem. This paper discovers that the propagation of LF EM waves in plasmas is still influenced by parasitic modulation effects. Compared to microwave frequencies, the impact of parasitic modulation effects on signal modulation patterns is more distinct for LF EM waves. In contrast to the microwave frequency range, where the rotation direction of QPSK signal constellation points changes with the ratio of plasma frequency to electromagnetic wave frequency, in the LF range, the constellation points undergo limited clockwise rotation. This phenomenon can be attributed to the unique magnetic field propagation mechanism of LF EM waves in dynamic plasmas. This paper analyzes the mechanism of this specific parasitic modulation effect and discovers a sinusoidal transformation relationship between amplitude attenuation and phase shift. Meanwhile, the experimental and simulation results proved that the time-varying plasma could cause the parasitic modulation effect of LF EM wave, resulting in a limited clockwise rotation of orthogonal phase-shift keying constellation points, which is consistent with the theoretical analysis.

The Cavity Perturbation Technique to Detect Cobalt Ferrite and Cobalt Ferrite-Barium Titanate Core-Shell Nanocomposites in the Microwave Frequency Range for Biomedical Applications

This paper focuses on the cavity perturbation technique to measure the dielectric properties of nanoparticles: (i) cobalt ferrite (ii) barium titanate and (iii) core-shell cobalt ferrite-barium titanate. The shift in TE103 and TE105 resonant mode is compared for the above three nanomaterials which in turn is correlated to its dielectric properties. Barium titanate has the highest shift in resonance peak and it is directly proportional to its relative permittivity followed by cobalt ferrite-barium titanate and cobalt ferrite respectively. However, the half power bandwidth, Δ f is highest for the cobalt ferrite nanoparticles and least for barium titanate. Approximately 1.145 MHz shift and 3.391 MHz shift is observed for the insertion of the lossy core-shell cobalt ferrite in TE103 and TE105 modes. The quality factor for barium titante was measured to be approximately twice to that of cobalt ferrite for this particular experiment.

Adaptive Bandpass Filter for Microwave Frequency Range

Adaptive Bandpass Filter for Microwave Frequency Range

Re2TiO5: Special dielectric titanates exhibiting abnormally low permittivity and a positive coefficient of resonance frequency

AbstractIn this study, a series of rare‐earth titanates with the general formula Re2TiO5 (Re = Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) were synthesized and their microwave dielectric properties were reported. The impact of differences in rare‐earth cation radii on the structure and dielectric properties was systematically analyzed. The findings indicated that ceramics of Re2TiO5 (Re = Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) were crystallized into a cubic structure with space group Fd‐3m, as confirmed by Rietveld refinement and selected‐area electron diffraction patterns. The rare‐earth elements were analyzed for their impact on microwave dielectric properties, considering factors such as ionic polarizability, packing fraction, and bond valence theory. The resulting materials exhibited excellent microwave dielectric properties with a low permittivity (6.95–7.21), high‐quality factors (19 451–20 115 GHz), and low positive temperature coefficient of resonance frequency (19.34–20.90 ppm/°C). The origin of low permittivity was elucidated through the analysis of bond length, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy. This series of titanates exhibited unusually low permittivity characteristics in the microwave frequency range, which could meet the low signal transmission delay requirements in wireless communication.

Adrenal ablation as a treatment for hypertension: analyzing the dielectric properties of adrenal glands for microwave ablation technologies

Abstract Adrenal gland-induced hypertension, also known as secondary hypertension, is a medical condition caused by an underlying adrenal pathology, most typically adrenocortical adenomas. Current clinical practices involve pharmacotherapy or surgical resection to treat adrenal gland diseases that cause hypertension. However, due to the limitations of these treatment options, microwave ablation (MWA) has emerged as a promising minimally invasive alternative. An accurate understanding of the dielectric properties of adrenal glands would support the further development and optimization of MWA technology for treating adrenal tumors. Only a few studies have examined the dielectric properties of both human and animal adrenal glands, and the sample sizes of these studies have been relatively small. Therefore, further dielectric data of human and animal adrenal glands are warranted. This paper presents the ex vivo dielectric properties of the ovine adrenal glands (medulla and cortex) and summarizes the published literature on dielectric data of adrenal glands from porcine, bovine, ovine, and human samples in the microwave frequency range to analyze the consistency and reliability of the reported data. The dielectric properties of the ovine adrenal glands (N = 8) were measured using an open-ended coaxial probe measurement technique at frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 8.5 GHz. This study also investigated the temperature-dependent dielectric properties of the ovine adrenal medulla ranging from 37 to 64°C at frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 8.5 GHz. The dielectric properties of the ovine adrenal medulla measured in this study were found to be consistent with the literature. Moreover, the review suggests that variations exist in the dielectric properties of the adrenal medulla and cortex among species. The study also found that the dielectric properties of the adrenal medulla decrease with increasing temperature, similar to other tissues for which temperature-dependent dielectric data have been reported. This summary of dielectric data of adrenal glands and the temperature-dependent dielectric properties of the ovine adrenal medulla will accelerate the development of MWA technologies for hypertension treatment.

All-passive microwave-diode nonreciprocal metasurface

Breaking reciprocity in the microwave frequency range is strongly desirable in the development of modern electronic systems, as it enables nonreciprocal wave absorbing, nonreciprocal beam steering, frequency conversion, and protection of sensitive devices from high energy sources. However, the typical approaches involve bulky biasing magnets or complex spatial-temporal modulations. As such, resorting to lightweight and all-passive platforms would result in optimal configurations and efficient integration. Starting from a circuit model, we theoretically demonstrate the nonreciprocal behavior on a transmission line building block creating a strong field asymmetry with a switchable matching stub to enable two distinct working states. After translating to an electromagnetic model, this concept is first proved by simulation and then experimentally verified on a microstrip-line-based diode-integrated metasurface showing nonreciprocal transmission. This printed circuit board design is expected to find various applications in electromagnetic protecting layers, communication systems, microwave isolators and circulators.

Microwave Photon Emission in Superconducting Circuits

Quantum computing requires a novel approach to store data as quantum states, opposite to classical bits. One of the most promising candidates is entangled photons. In this manuscript, we show the photon emission in the range of microwave frequencies of three different types of superconducting circuits, a SQUID, a JPA, and a JTWPA, often used as low-noise parametric amplifiers. These devices can be operated as sources of entangled photons. We report the experimental protocol used to produce and measure microwave radiation from these circuits, as well as data simulations. The collected spectra are obtained by performing single-tone measurements with a direct rf pump on the devices; the output spectra at low powers (below −100 dBm) are well interpreted by the dynamical Casimir model, while at high powers (above −100 dBm) the system is well described by the Autler–Townes fluorescence of a three-level atom.