Accurate determination of the complex permittivity of materials with transmission reflection measurements in partially filled rectangular waveguides

An enhanced transmission reflection technique for the precise determination of the complex permittivity of dielectric materials partially filling the cross section of a rectangular waveguide is described. Dielectric properties are determined by an iterative procedure from two-port S-parameter measurements and a numerically generated propagation constant obtained from the analysis of a partially filled waveguide. Convergence of the solution is ensured from perturbational approximations. Unlike previous approaches, an uncertainty investigation is performed, taking into account all the parameters involved in the dielectric characterization. Permittivity accuracy values are presented and, hence, an optimum measurement setup can be established. Measurements of reference materials have been carried out to validate the method.