Richard G. Geyer

Complex permittivity of some ultralow loss dielectric crystals at cryogenic temperatures

Whispering gallery modes were used for very accurate permittivity and dielectric loss measurements of ultralow loss isotropic and uniaxially anisotropic single crystals. Several materials including sapphire, YAG, quartz, and SrLaAlO4 were measured. The total absolute uncertainty in the real part of permittivity tensor components was estimated to be ±0.1%, limited principally by the uncertainty in sample dimensions. Imaginary parts of permittivities were measured with uncertainties of about 10%, limited by the accuracy of Q-factor measurements of whispering gallery modes. It has been observed that, for most crystals, dielectric losses can be approximated by a power function of absolute temperature only in limited temperature ranges. At temperatures between 4-50 K, losses are often affected by impurities, which are always present in real crystals.

Structure-property relationships in pure and acceptor-doped Ba1-xSrxTiO3 thin films for tunable microwave device applications

The influence of low concentration (1 mol %) Mg doping on the structural, microstructural, surface morphological, and dielectric properties of Ba1−xSrxTiO3 (BST) thin films has been measured and analyzed. The films were fabricated on MgO and Pt–Si substrates via the metalorganic solution deposition technique using carboxylate–alkoxide precursors and postdeposition annealed at 800 °C (film/MgO substrates) and 750 °C (film/Pt–Si substrates). The structure, microstructure, surface morphology, and film/substrate compositional quality were analyzed by glancing angle x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy studies. Dielectric properties of unpatterned films were measured at 10 GHz using a coupled, tuned split dielectric resonator system, and at 100 kHz using metal–insulator–metal capacitors. The Mg-doped BST films exhibited improved dielectric and insulating properties compared to the undoped Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films. The improved dielectr...

Analysis of an open-ended coaxial probe with lift-off for nondestructive testing

The open-ended coaxial probe with lift-off is studied using a full-wave analysis, and an uncertainty analysis is presented. The field equations for the following terminations are worked out: (1) the sample extends to /spl infin/ in the positive axial direction, (2) the sample is backed by a well-characterized material, and (3) the sample is backed by a short-circuit termination. The equations are valid for both dielectric and magnetic materials. The model allows the study of the open-ended coaxial probe as a nondestructive testing tool. The analysis allows a study of the effects of air gaps on probe measurements. The reflection coefficient and phase are studied as a function of lift-off, coaxial line size, permittivity, permeability, and frequency. Numerical results indicate that the probe is very sensitive to lift-off. For medium to high permittivity values and electrically small probes, gaps on the order of fractions of a millimeter strongly influence the reflection coefficient. In order for the field to penetrate through the air gap, larger size coaxial line or higher frequencies need to be used. A comparison of the theory to experiment is presented. The results are in close agreement. A differential uncertainty analysis is also included. >

Use of whispering-gallery modes for complex permittivity determinations of ultra-low-loss dielectric materials

Whispering-gallery modes are used for very accurate permittivity, dielectric loss, and temperature coefficient of permittivity measurements for both isotropic and uniaxially anisotropic dielectric materials. The relationship between resonant frequencies, dimensions of the resonant structure, and permittivity of the sample under test is calculated with a radial mode-matching technique. The relative accuracy of these computations is better then 10/sup -4/. The influence of conductor losses on dielectric loss tangent determination is treated for both whispering-gallery-mode and TE/sub 01/spl delta//-mode dielectric-resonator techniques. Two permittivity tensor components of sapphire and their temperature dependence were measured from 4.2 to 300 K. The total uncertainty in permittivity when use is made of whispering-gallery modes was estimated to be less than 0.05%. The uncertainty was limited principally by uncertainty in sample dimensions. Experimental and calculated resonant frequencies of several whispering-gallery modes differed by no more than 0.01%. The dielectric loss tangent of sapphire parallel and perpendicular to its anisotropy axis was calculated to be less than 10/sup -9/ at 4.2 K. The permittivity and dielectric loss tangent of a commercially available low-loss high-permittivity ceramic material has also been measured at S- and C-band frequencies using a large number of whispering-gallery modes.

Dielectric properties of single crystals of Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/, LaAlO/sub 3/, NdGaO/sub 3/, SrTiO/sub 3/, and MgO at cryogenic temperatures

A dielectric resonator technique has been used for measurements of the permittivity and dielectric loss tangent of single-crystal dielectric substrates in the temperature range 20-300 K at microwave frequencies. Application of superconducting films made it possible to determine dielectric loss tangents of about 5/spl times/10/sup -7/ at 20 K. Two permittivity tensor components for uniaxially anisotropic samples were measured. Generally, single-crystal samples made of the same material by different manufacturers or by different processes save significantly different losses, although they have essentially the same permittivities. The permittivity of one crystalline ferroelectric substrate, SrTiO/sub 3/, strongly depends on temperature. This temperature dependence can affect the performance of ferroelectric thin-film microwave devices, such as electronically tunable phase shifters, mixers, delay lines and filters. >

Dielectric characterization of low-loss materials a comparison of techniques

Measurements on low-loss materials using closed and open cavity resonators, and dielectric resonator methods are presented. Results indicate that consistent measurement results can be obtained with a number of well-characterized fixtures. Uncertainties associated with each method are addressed. Measurements also were performed on materials used in previous intercomparisons.

Applicability of effective medium theory to ferroelectric/ferrimagnetic composites with composition and frequency‐dependent complex permittivities and permeabilities

High‐frequency (1 MHz–1 GHz) transmission line measurements were used to determine the composition and frequency‐dependent complex permittivities and complex permeabilities of ferroelectric/ferrimagnetic (barium titanate and a magnesium‐copper‐zinc ferrite) composites. The effective medium rules of Maxwell–Garnett give both lower and upper bounds for the effective permittivities and permeabilities and yield accurate estimates of the bulk electric and magnetic properties at low volume fill fraction of either component provided the proper host matrix is chosen. Bruggeman theory yielded the best predictive values for the permittivity and permeability over the entire composition range. In all cases these complex quantities were shown to be constrained by Bergman–Milton bounds.

A nonlinear least-squares solution with causality constraints applied to transmission line permittivity and permeability determination

A technique for the solution of one-port and two-port scattering equations for complex permittivity and permeability determination is presented. Using a nonlinear regression procedure, the model determines parameters for the specification of the spectral functional form of complex permittivity and permeability. The method is based on a nonlinear regression technique and uses the fact that a causal, analytic function can be represented by poles and zeros. The technique allows the accurate determination of many low- and high-permittivity dielectric and magnetic materials in either the low- or high-loss range. The model allows for small adjustments, consistent with the physics of the problem, to independent variable data such as angular frequency, sample length, sample position, and cut-off wavelength. The model can determine permittivity and permeability for samples where sample length, sample position, and sample holder length are not known precisely. The problem of local minima is discussed. >

Complex permeability of demagnetized microwave ferrites near and above gyromagnetic resonance

A wide variety of microwave ferrite phase-shifting materials have been measured in the demagnetized state. The relative magnetic permeability and loss factor were determined near and above natural gyromagnetic resonance using H/sub 011/ cylindrical dielectric ring resonators. These low-loss dielectric sleeves were dimensioned for accurate magnetic property measurements of single ferrite rod samples at logarithmically sampled resonant frequencies from 2 GHz to 25 GHz. Permeability and magnetic loss factor are computed from the measured resonant frequencies and Q factors of these resonators, with and without the ferrite sample, using exact eigenvalue equations. Generally, the real part of the complex magnetic permeability increases with decreasing saturation magnetization, while the magnetic loss factor increases nonlinearly with increasing saturation. Schloemanns theoretical model for the real part of initial permeability of a cylindrically symmetric domain configuration in the completely demagnetized state shows excellent agreement with measured data when 2/spl pi//spl gamma//spl mu//sub s///spl omega/<0.75. The data allow design optimization of circulators and dual-mode and polarization-insensitive phasers, which are widely used in antenna array systems.

Tailored and anisotropic dielectric constants through porosity in ceramic components

In this paper, different densities within a ceramic are used to provide a wide continuous range of dielectric constants for high-frequency applications. Cofiring different ceramic materials together to make a single unified structure to obtain different dielectric constant combinations is quite difficult due to phase stability issues and shrinkage mismatches. However, using various levels of porosity in order to alter the effective dielectric constant in the same material allows patterning different dielectric constants into a single unit. Since the structure is made from a single material, the varying porosity regions can be made compatible. Glassy-carbon-assisted and microcellular-structure-based porous titania allow for an extremely wide range of dielectric constants, ranging from 12 to 90, while maintaining a low loss tangent. Highly anisotropic materials are demonstrated herein to achieve a dielectric constant contrast of 90/9.6 using large-range aligned microcellular structure. Dielectric-resonator antennas are shown as an application of adjusting the bandwidth between 0.5% and 2.5% by tailoring the ceramic dielectric constant. A stratified-medium-loaded cavity resonator and a buried dielectric ring resonator internal to a microcellular substrate are used to demonstrate both the cofiring and variable dielectric constant capabilities of structured porosity.