Equipment Grant: Millimeter Wave Design and Measurement System

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This Engineering Research Equipment Grant will aid the principal investigators work in millimeter wave (MMW) research. This work is supported by NSF in two major areas: MMW device and circuit analysis and design, and MMW remote sensing of geophysical media. In the remote sensing area, the major objective is the development of basic information of the MMW propagation and scattering in random and inhomogeneous media including snow, vegetation, and ground. Experimental studies have been conducted using the truck mounted MMW radars. Based on experimental data, theoretical models for snow, vegetation, and trees have been developed. However, to understand the fundamental process of MMW interaction with random media, controlled experiments need to be conducted, but efforts have been limited by a lack of suitable MMW system. In their study of MMW devices and circuits, the principal investigators have developed a number of computer codes which perform a very accurate analysis of a wide variety of planar circuit elements. These programs will be incorporated into a user friendly CAD package. In addition, MMW circuits will be fabricated and tested in order to check our analytical models. The proposed MMW measurement and design system should enhance the ability to conduct experiments and develop new theoretical models.