Plasma Antennas

Pritesh Desai (10BEC128)

Frenil Shah (10BEC129)

Outline

Introduction
Features of Plasma Antenna
Characteristics of Plasma Antenna
Types of Plasma Antenna
Working Principle
Advantages
Applications

Introduction

What is Plasma?

It is a gas in which certain portion of

particles are ionized. It responds strongly
to electromagnetic fields.

Plasma Antennas

Plasma Antennas is a type of radio

antenna currently under development.
Plasma is used instead of metal for
conduction.
They can be used for both transmission
and reception.

Features
Ability to focus a single beam.
Can communicate signals in very short
pulse.
Are
Reconfigurable
for
frequency,
bandwidth, gain, length of plasma column
and radius of glass tube.
Can transmit and receive for same apertures
if the frequencies are widely separated.

Characteristics
Gas ionizing process can manipulate
resistance and when deionised, the gas
has infinite resistance and doesnt
interact with RF radiation.
After sending pulse, it can be deionised
and eliminates "ringing effect".
It can operate up to 90 GHz.

Types of Plasma
Antennas
Laser Induced Antenna

Plasma Antennas Using Tube Structures

Explosively Formed Plasma Dielectric
Antennas

Laser Induced
Antenna
The transmission was realized along a
plasma channel that was created by the
atmosphere breakdown.
The atmosphere breakdown was created
by the focused laser emission.
The laser is used to designate the path of
the antenna while an electrical discharge is
employed to create and sustain the
plasma.

Plasma Antennas
Using Tube Structures

Using tube structures, we can achieve

low base-band noise for HF and VHF
transmission.
When the plasma creating voltage is
turned off, the antenna effectively
disappears.

Plasma Tube
Antenna

Plasma Dielectric
Antenna
A simple explosive charge design, called a
plasma cartridge, can be used to generate a
column of ionized gas.
In this design. 1-3 grams of seeded explosive
charge, which contained Fe, Pb, C, N, K, Cl,
and O was used to create plasma.
Due to high temperatures generated by the
explosive material, the surrounding gases
became ionized, forming a plasma column.

Plasma Dielectric
Antenna
The maximum attainable temperature that
can be achieved is dependent upon the
available
oxygen
for
the
fuel
recombination.
It has been proven that a plasma jet
antenna is feasible.

Electric and Magnetic

Field produced by the
antenna

Working Principle
A plasma antenna generates localized concentrations
of plasma to form a plasma mirror which deflects an RF
beam launched from a central feed located at the focus
of the mirror.
An ionized region, or solid state plasma, can be
generated in silicon using electronically controlled
devices (plasma diodes) that are positioned between
closely spaced metalized surfaces which constrain the
beam.
The plasma can be freely moved by switching groups of
plasma diodes on and off that follow the desired
geometry of the reflector.

Working Principle
The resulting pattern forms a rosette of
overlapping reflectors only one of which is
active at any time.
This enables the beam to be steered quickly
without the need for mechanical motion.
When supply is given to the tube, the gas inside
it gets ionized to plasma. When plasma is
highly energized, it behaves as a conductor.

Working Principle
Antenna generates a localized concentration of
plasma to form a plasma mirror that deflects RF
beam launched from a central feed located at
focus of the mirror.
When plasma jet enters into the spiral field,
signals are emitted. The spiral is localized
concentration of plasma. These spirals behave
as plasma mirrors which help in transmission of
RF signals.

Working Principle

Advantages
Plasma posses a high level of conductivity.
Based on the frequencies used, a plasma
antenna may be able to receive signals that
would not be detectable by older types of
antennas, as well as boost signals that are then
transmitted out to either point.
a plasma antenna is much less susceptible to
electrical damage and can often be repaired
much faster if some event does occur to
temporary interfere with its function.

Applications
Military applications for its stealth, weight and
easily reconfiguration.
Unmanned air vehicle sensor antennas.
Detection and tracking of ballistic missiles.
Telemetry.
Broad-band communications.
Ground penetrating radar.
Wind shear detection and collision avoidance.

Thank You