Design of an open-ended coaxial probe for broadband, low-footprint nondestructive characterization of PEC-backed materials

The design of an open-ended coaxial probe for the nondestructive characterization of PEC-backed materials is presented. The design attempts to maximize the measurement bandwidth while limiting the size of the probe flange plate. These design criteria are met by analyzing the theoretical reflection coefficient's behavior versus frequency and the coaxial line's inner radius. Included in this paper are the theoretical derivation of the reflection coefficient, accomplished using Love's equivalence theorem, the parallel-plate Green's function, and the Method of Moments (MoM), and the results of the design analysis. Future work is also discussed.