An automated 60 GHz open resonator system for precision dielectric measurement

An automated open resonator system designed and constructed for precision measurement of loss tangent and dielectric permittivity of low absorbing materials at 60 GHz is reported. The use of a high-Q hemispherical Fabry-Perot cavity together with highly stabilized synthesized phase-locked Gunn oscillator sources and the superheterodyne receiver enabled a loss tangent value as low as 10 mu rad to be measured. The system is automated by means of a precision lock-in amplifier, a V-band Hewlett-Packard spectrum analyzer and a Hewlett-Packard Vectra computer system with analog-to-digital conversion accessories. The synthesizer allows the collection of data at very small steps over the complete Gaussian beam, and, together with a statistical fitting, the Q determination can be made very accurately.<>