Reflection of Electromagnetic Wave Using a Plasma Sheet

A stable plasma sheet with an area of 250 × 300 mm² was generated between two different pairs of electrode models, a pair of hollow electrodes discharge model, a single hollow cathode, and a metal plate anode discharge model, by direct current discharge under an axial magnetic field. The electron density distribution across the sheet plasmas in the two different discharge models were compared by the measurements using Langmuir probe. The results showed that the electric field configuration of the pair of hollow electrodes discharge model was more effective to confine the electrons and showed higher electron density in the sheet plasma. The microwave return loss of the sheet plasma had been studied by using a microwave scale network analyzer and the sheet plasma exhibited almost the same reflection capability with an aluminum plate in a microwave range of 2.2 to 4 GHz, which indicated that the sheet plasma with high electron density could be used to reflect electromagnetic wave, and hopefully replace metal plate antenna.