Date of Award

3-22-2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

First Advisor

Peter J. Collins, PhD.

Abstract

The overall purpose of this research was to design, build, and test an apparatus for the measurement and characterization of radar-frequency metamaterial performance in the S-band through Ku-band (2-18 GHz). Measurement and characterization is vital to metamaterial taxonomy and ultimately vital to metamaterial definitions. Thus, the current lack of clarity in metamaterial definitions has served as the primary motivation for pursuing a method for taxonomy and thus, this apparatus. The technical goal of this thesis was to aid in the understanding of a metamaterial's radar-frequency response by developing an apparatus that would take simple, yet significant measurements of a metamaterial's S-parameters and electric field distributions in near-field regions. The apparatus under design became a hybridized form of the designs of three existing measurement systems: a focused-beam system housed in a moveable-plate, parallel-plate transmission line. Some of the system components were borrowed directly from the existing designs, other components were designed from the examples of existing designs, and still others were designed altogether new. The final product of this thesis will be a patentable design for a near-field and S-parameter measurement device that can be applied to both metamaterials and traditional radar-frequency materials.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-GE-ENG-12-13

DTIC Accession Number

ADA557815

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