s

Contents
CHAPTER 1- INTRODUCTION 3-4

1.1 ABSTRACT 3
1.2 PLASMA ANTENNA 4

CHAPTER 2-LITERATURE SURVEY 5

CHAPTER 3-PLASMA ANTENNA 6-9
3.1 PLASMA ANTENNA 6
3.2 TYPES OF PLASMA ANTENNA 7
3.3 OPERATION 7
3.4 CHARACTERISTICS OF ANTENNA 8
3.5 TRADITIONAL ANTENNA VS PLASMA ANTENNA 9
CHAPTER 4-ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES 10-12
4.1 ADVANTAGES 10
4.2 DISADVANTAGES 10
4.3 APPLICATIONS 11
CHAPTER 5-CONCLUSION 13
5.1 CONCLUSION 13
REFERENCE 14

0
 CHAPTER -1
INTRODUCTION
1.1. ABSTRACT :
Plasma antenna applications have been developed in the past decade. In these cases,
it is enough to know a somewhat estimation of the plasma densities. Microwave
interferometry is known to be a suitable method to measure average plasma and
collision frequencies. In this paper, an improvement of this technique on a
cylindrical tube is investigated in three steps. First, the transmission and reflection
coefficients are calculated by considering the radial nonuniformity of electron
density, and then, the relation between attenuation and phase change with plasma
parameters is derived. Second, the reflections caused by plasma and dielectric which
are significant for lower measurement frequencies are added. Furthermore, the
microwave scattering method is presented as a novel diagnostic technique by
performing backward and forward scattering analysis. Finally, the measurement
setup in X-band using the vector network analyzer is utilized to validate the
implementation of the theory, which results in the approval of the modifications.
Plasma antenna technology employs ionized gas enclosed in a tube (or other
enclosure) as the conducting element of an antenna. This is a fundamental change
from traditional antenna design that generally employs solid metal wires as the
conducting element. Ionized gas is an efficient conducting element with a number
of important advantages. Since the gas is ionized only for the time of transmission
or reception, “ringing" and associated effects of solid wire antenna design are
eliminated. The design allows for extremely short pulses, important to many forms
of digital communication and radars. The design further provides the opportunity to
construct an antenna that can be compact and dynamically reconfigured for
frequency, direction, bandwidth, gain and beam width. Plasma antenna technology
will enable antennas to be designed that are efficient, low in weight and smaller in
size than traditional solid wire antennas.

1.2 PLASMA ANTENNA:

On earth we live upon an island of "ordinary" matter. The different states
of matter generally found on earth are solid, liquid, and gas. Sir William Crookes,
an English physicist identified a fourth state of matter, now called plasma, in 1879.
Plasma is by far the most common form of matter. Plasma in the stars and in the
tenuous space between them makes up over 99% of the visible universe and Perhaps
most of that which is not visible. Important to ASI's technology, plasmas are
conductive assemblies of charged and neutral particles and fields that exhibit
1
collective effects.
Plasmas carry electrical currents and generate magnetic fields. When the Plasma
Antenna Research Laboratory at ANU investigated the feasibility of plasma
antennas as low radar cross-section radiating elements, Red centre established a
network between DSTO ANU researchers, CEA Technologies, Cantec Australasia
and Neo lite Neon for further development and future commercialization of this
technology .The plasma antenna R & D project has proceeded over the last year at
the Australian National University in response to a DSTO (Defence Science and
Technology Organisation) contract to develop a new antenna solution that
minimizes antenna detectability by radar.

Since then, an investigation of the wider technical issues of existing antenna systems
has revealed areas where plasma antennas might be useful. The project attracts the
interest of the industrial groups involved in such diverse areas as fluorescent
lighting, telecommunications and radar. Plasma antennas have a number of potential
advantages for antenna design. When a plasma element is not energized, it is difficult
to detect by radar. Even when it is energized, it is transparent to the transmissions
above the plasma frequency, which falls in the microwave region. Plasma elements
can be energized and de–energized in seconds, which prevents signal degradation.
When a particular plasma element is not energized, its radiation does not affect
nearby elements. HF CDMA Plasma antennas will have low probability of intercept
(LP) and low probability of detection (LPD) in HF communications.

2
 CHAPTER-2

LITERATURE SURVEY

The term plasma antenna has been applied to a wide variety of antenna concepts that
incorporate some use of an ionized medium. In the vast majority of approaches, the
plasma, or ionized volume, simply replaces a solid conductor. A highly ionized
plasma is essentially a good conductor, and therefore plasma filaments can serve as
transmission line elements for guiding waves, or antenna surfaces for radiation. The
concept is not new. A patent entitled “Aerial Conductor for Wireless Signaling and
Other Purposes” was awarded to J. Hettinger in 1919 .The advantages of such an
approach are numerous. For example, the length of an ionized filament can be
changed rapidly, thereby “re-tuning” the antenna to a new frequency. The antenna
can be “turned off” to make it electrically invisible for the purpose of reducing its
scattering signature and eliminating its coupling and interference with other nearby
antennas. On the other hand, the use of plasma adds complexity to the antenna
design. Equipment for establishing and maintaining the ionization must be provided.
There is a glow to the plasma that increases its visible signature, and plasma decay
generates noise. The ionized volume can take a variety of forms. It can be established
in air at atmospheric pressure by using lasers, high power microwave beams, or
ultraviolet rays. A plasma might also be generated from a gas filled tube containing
a noble gas like neon or argon. Methods that use a tube require less energy to excite
and maintain the plasma state, because the gas is pure and the presence of the tube
prevents dissipation. The use of a tube requires that it be protected from the
environment, which increases the antenna weight and volume, and makes the
antenna less durable. This report describes the basic underlying plasma theory,
examines methods of exciting and confining plasmas, and summarizes antenna
concepts that incorporate plasmas.

3
 CHAPTER-3
3.1 PLASMA ANTENNA

A plasma antenna is a type of radio antenna currently in development in

which plasma is used instead of the metal elements of a traditional antenna. A
plasma antenna can be used for both transmission and reception. Although plasma
antennas have only become practical in recent years, the idea is not new; a patent for
an antenna using the concept was granted to J. Hettinger in 1919.
Early practical examples of the technology used discharge tubes to contain the
plasma and are referred to as ionized gas plasma antennas. Ionized gas plasma
antennas can be turned on and off and are good for stealth and resistance to electronic
warfare and cyber attacks. Ionized gas plasma antennas can be nested such that the
higher frequency plasma antennas are placed inside lower frequency plasma
antennas. Higher frequency ionized gas plasma antenna arrays can transmit and
receive through lower frequency ionized gas plasma antenna arrays. This means that
the ionized gas plasma antennas can be co-located and ionized gas plasma antenna
arrays can be stacked. Ionized gas plasma antennas can eliminate or reduce co-site
interference. Smart ionized gas plasma antennas use plasma physics to shape and
steer the antenna beams without the need of phased arrays. Satellite signals can be
steered or focused in the reflective or refractive modes using banks of plasma tubes
making unique ionized gas satellite plasma antennas. The thermal noise of ionized
gas plasma antennas is less than in the corresponding metal antennas at the higher
frequencies.[1] Solid state plasma antennas (also known as plasma silicon antennas)
with steerable directional functionality that can be manufactured using
standard silicon chip fabrication techniques are now also in development. Plasma
silicon antennas are candidates for use in WiGig (the planned enhancement to Wi-
Fi), and have other potential applications, for example in reducing the cost of
vehicle-mounted radar collision avoidance systems.

4
3.2TYPES OF PLASMA ANTENNA:

There are two types of Plasma Antennas:

1. Gas Plasma Antenna: In this antenna Gas filled tubes are used in place of metal elements. As
the current is passed through the tube the gas gets ionized to plasma, becomes conductive and acts
as a mirror, eventually receiving and transmitting signals. When the gas de-ionizes, the antenna
becomes non-conductive.

2. Plasma Silicon Antenna (PSiAn): These antennas have a large number of diodes embedded
into a silicon chip. When current is passed, these diodes get charged resulting in the creation of
localized plasma, which is used to receive and transmit signals. PSiAn antennas have 'beam-
steering' capabilities, as you can select specific diodes to focus a beam of signals in a specific
direction.

3.3 OPERATION

In an ionized gas plasma antenna, a gas is ionized to create a plasma. unlike gasses ,
plasmas have very high electrical conductivity so it is possible for radio
frequency signals to travel through them so that they act as a driven element to
radiate radio waves, or to receive them. Alternatively the plasma can be used as a
reflector or a lens to guide and focus radio waves from another source. Solid-state
antennas differ in that the plasma is created from electrons generated by activating
thousands of diodes on a silicon chip.

5
We have made significant progress in developing plasma antennas. Our antennas
have been operating in the region 1 to 10 GHz. The basic advantages of plasma
antennas over metal antennas are threefold. First, the plasma antennas are
reconfigurable. When one plasma antenna is de-energized, the antenna reverts to a
dielectric tube, and a second antenna can transmit through it. This allows us to use
several large antennas stacked over each other instead of several small antennas
placed next to each other. This results in better sensitivity and directivity. Second,
the plasma antenna is stealthy. When de-energized, the plasma antenna does not
reflect incident, probing RADAR signals.

Third, the plasma antenna is resistant to electronic warfare. An operating plasma

antenna can be at the same time transparent and immune to incident high
frequenchigh power electronic warfare pulses. The question is, how well do plasma
antennas operate? Our tests at the Malibu Research Corporation in California have
shown that an energized plasma reflector is essentially as effective as a metal
reflector. However, when de-energized, the reflected signal drops by over 20 dB.
Three remaining questions are, first, how to increase the operating plasma density
without overloading the plasma discharge tubes? Second, how can we reduce the
power required? And third, how can we reduce plasma noise caused by the ionizing
power supply. When supply is given to the tube, the gas inside it gets ionised to
plasma.

When plasma is highly energised, it behaves as a conductor.Antenna generates a

localised concentration of plasma to form a plasma mirror that deflects RF beam
launched from a central feed located at focus of mirror.

3.4CHARACTERISTICS OF PLASMA ANTENNA

Gas ionizing process can manipulate resistance and when deionized the gas has infinite
resistance and doesn’t interact with RF radiation. After sending pluse it can be
deionized and eliminates “RINGING EFFECT”. Operates upto 90GHZ. It uses ionized gas as
conducting material. The gas is ionized only at the time of transmission or reception. The
design allows for extremely short pluses , important to many forms of digital
communications or radars.

6
3.5 TRADITIONAL ANTENNA VS PLASMA ANTENNA

7
 CHAPTER-4

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Similar to the way a normal antenna functions, the plasma antenna basically transmits and
receives signals the same way. Both the transmission and reception processes involve the
movement of electrons and the production of electromagnetic waves. The only difference between
the normal antenna and the plasma antenna is the conducting element. That said, the plasma
antenna entails more advantages and benefits as compared to the traditional antenna.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Plasma antennas are invisible to radar. When the plasma antenna is not turned on, radar will
find it difficult to detect the antenna. Even if the plasma antenna is turned on, it is invisible to
signals above the plasma frequency. This makes it hard for the plasma antenna signals to be
intercepted or detected by anyone other than the intended recipient. Clearly, this particular aspect
of the plasma antenna makes it ideal for use by the military to transmit and receive secret
instructions and information.

2. The plasma antenna allows for extremely short pulses, unlike a normal metal antenna. When
electricity is passed through a metal conductor, an effect known as “ringing” occurs, that is an
extra burst of electricity flow through the conductor for an extremely short while when there is a
sudden change of input (like when the pulse is short). This wastes energy and causes unwanted
electromagnetic waves to be produced. With the plasma antenna, ringing is totally eliminated.

3. Plasma antenna technology allows for the design of antennas that are efficient, light, and smaller
than traditional antennas. With the metal conductors replaced with either silicon chips or gas, the
plasma antenna is lighter and more portable than the metal antenna.

4. The plasma antenna is dynamically reconfigurable, which means that the handlers of the antenna
can freely change the frequency, gain, polarization, power, directionality and beamwidth of the
signal. The implications of this advantage is that instead of needing multiple normal antennas, we
can just use a single plasma antenna, reducing cost and saving space.

5. The plasma antenna is capable of transmitting signals at an extremely fast speed. In the plasma
semiconductor antenna, by selectively activating certain diodes, the handler is able to focus the
electromagnetic waves produced into a beam, which travels faster than a wave.

DISADVANTAGES :

1. According to a scientist who is involved in the development of the plasma antenna, Ted
Handerson, Haleakala R&D, Brookfield, Massachusetts, the semi-conductor version of the plasma
antenna is limited to high frequencies, which makes certain applications difficult. For example,
Wi-Gig routers operating at 60Ghz cannot penetrate walls.The signals can be reflected off surfaces
to reach their destination instead. For example, Wi-Gig routers will emit the signals, which will
then reflect off the physical surfaces of the walls to reach the computer or device.

8
2. The ionizer increases power consumption. More energy is required to ionize the gases or to
make the silicon chips release electrons. Therefore, plasma antennas actually use more power than
normal antennas.Other technologies to reduce power consumption of plasma antennas can be
considered or developed in the future. One current example is the Antenna Integrated Radio
Solution developed by the partnership between Ericsson and Kathrein-Werke KG. In this design,
the antenna is built into the radio unit to cut installation time and power consumption greatly. This
design has the potential to be tailored so that it works for plasma antennas as well.

3. Plasma volumes must be stable and repeatable. When a gas is ionised, not all 100% of the gas
will ionise to become plasma. With silicon chips, it is reasonable to say that the amount of electrons
released by the silicon when heated or charged will vary from time to time. Thus it is imperative
that the volume of plasma generated each time should be the same. The amount of plasma existing
during a transmission or reception should also be the stable and not fluctuate. Only then will the
electromagnetic waves transmitted be stable.Perhaps one way of controlling plasma emission by
the ionised gases and silicon chips would be to keep the current flowing through it constant,
thereby exciting only a certain amount of particles, and producing a fixed volume of plasma.

APPLICATIONS:
1.The plasma antenna has high potential to be used in the military sector, as it is hard to be detected
by radar. This is good for the military to send and receive top secret documents or instructions. As
signals radiated by a plasma antenna is hard to intercept and therefore hard to be blocked, the
plasma antenna is said to be resistant to electronic warfare, a strategy commonly employed by
enemy countries.

2.Not only that, but the plasma antenna can be used in radio and television broadcasting. The
signals emitted by the plasma antenna tend to be stronger than the signals emitted by the normal
metal antenna, thus causing the radio waves to last longer without damping and being
extinguished. The consequence of this implication is that radio broadcasting companies no longer
need to build so many relay stations and towers to relay the signal to further areas. As a result, the
plot of land can be used for industrial or residential purposes, or preserved to save nature.

3.Another market application for the plasma antenna is to be installed on ships and submarines.
Submarines require stealth to complete the mission of its crew, and so having a plasma antenna
would be of great benefit. For fishing ships that require echolocation to locate the position of fish
in deep sea, the plasma antenna will also be advantageous. The signals emitted by the plasma
antenna can be adjusted to high frequency, thus able to penetrate miles and miles of seawater.

4.One very relevant application of the plasma antenna is in wireless Internet, like Wi-Gig. Wi-Gig
provides faster Internet connection to users than is provided by Wi-Fi. A faster Internet connection
means that users will be more productive and save time. The economy of the country can be
improved as more work can be done in a shorter time. Activities like downloading podcasts,
movies and music at fast speeds can be done even using wireless Internet connection. This is
clearly an advantage for mobile users.

5. Another application of the plasma antenna is its role in improving public safety networks.
Devices like CCTVs around a neighbourhood or city are usually connected in a video surveillance
network. These devices are used to prevent crimes from happening, or as video evidence in court.
Clearly, these devices are also important in tracking down criminals who are escaping. If any of
the devices are malfunctioning or have suffered malevolent damage by terrorists, it is possible for

9
a handler from the public safety department to reroute traffic through backhaul networks using
plasma antennas.

6.It is also possible that plasma antennas can be used in space communication. Plasma antennas
which prove to be lighter than normal antennas can serve as communication devices on jet planes,
commercial planes, and even space shuttles. For example, scientists and researchers working at
the NASA Glenn Research Centre have filed and received a patent for a slotted antenna waveguide
plasma source.

10
 CHAPTER-5

CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the plasma antenna works according to the same principles and
physics laws as the normal antenna, with plasma replacing the metal conductors of
the normal antenna. But because the conducting material used is plasma, it affords
some advantages over a normal antenna. The most notable advantage of the plasma
antenna is the fact that it is practically invisible to radar and can release short pulses
of signals. Therefore, the military of US is currently racing to implement the plasma
antenna into their existing systems.Another advantage of the plasma antenna is that
it can pave the way towards faster wireless Internet, which is certainly needed by
most users nowadays, whether it be for entertainment or business purposes.

Although the plasma antenna has some disadvantages, these can be overcome using
the problems’ respective solutions. Who knows, in the future somebody may design
and manufacture plasma antennas after solving all disadvantages of the plasma
antenna. What is certain though is the fact that plasma antennas are commercially
viable and are expected to enter the market in 2011 or 2012.

Because the manufacturing price of plasma antenna is quite low compared to normal
antennas, it would be best if Malaysia can manufacture plasma antennas as a way to
widen the jobs available.

11
REFERENCES:

[1] https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/4198767

[2] https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6481565

[3]https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7928711/

[4]http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8300245/

[5]https://duggireddybharathreddy07.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/plasma-antenna/

[6]https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S1064226911100111

[7]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasma_antenna

12