A Quasi-Isotropic Probe for High-Power Microwave Field Measurement.

Area of Science:

• Electromagnetics
• Antenna Theory
• Microwave Engineering

Background:

• High-power pulsed microwaves, particularly from radar systems, pose safety risks.
• Existing measurement equipment struggles with the high electric field strength and short pulse durations of these microwaves.
• Accurate measurement is essential for enforcing safety guidelines protecting people from microwave field exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel quasi-isotropic antenna design for high-power electromagnetic field measurement.
• To investigate the suitability of this antenna for assessing pulsed microwaves.
• To address the limitations of current meters in measuring intense, short-duration microwave pulses.

Main Methods:

• The probe utilizes a dipole-diode detection concept.
• An electrically small, shortened dipole antenna minimizes spatial integration errors.
• A novel dipole geometry and a "magic" angular arrangement of three dipoles achieve quasi-isotropic radiation and polarization independence.

Main Results:

• The proposed antenna design enables high-power measurement within the diode's square-law range.
• The design ensures measurement of all incident electromagnetic field polarizations.
• The probe operates effectively across a frequency range of 1 GHz to 12 GHz.

Conclusions:

• The developed quasi-isotropic antenna probe is suitable for measuring high-power pulsed microwaves.
• This innovation facilitates compliance with safety guidelines for human exposure to microwave fields.
• The design offers a significant advancement for accurate electromagnetic field assessment in high-power scenarios.