An Overview on the Implementation of Surface Wave Driven Plasma Antennas

This study is focused on the implementation procedure of a surface-wave excited plasma monopole antenna. The experimental arrangement of the antenna is organized as a plasma column, a surface wave launcher, and an excitation mechanism. Details of each component of this arrangement are described. It is observed that the pressure range for the stable plasma column depends on the radius of the tube. The mechanism of the wave launcher is selected based on the excitation frequency while the operating frequency should be always lower than the excitation frequency. It has been emphasized that the appropriate microwave components between the RF power generator and the wave launcher are crucial in an efficient antenna structure to adjust the estimated resonant wavelength of the antenna and also to reject unwanted signals.