Characterization of Ni–Zn Ferrite Double-Positive Metamaterials for Pulsed Power Systems

A new type of metamaterial has been developed for the use in pulsed power systems. These materials have the applications in high-power microwave systems, dielectric-loaded components, and nonlinear transmission lines. We present a double-positive metamaterial created by incorporating several types of nickel-zinc ferrite powders into a silane binder. Measurements show these materials to possess positive relative permeability and permittivity values in the range of 3-6 for frequencies between 20 MHz and 2 GHz. The dielectric strengths of five different types of ferrite-based composites were measured to evaluate the potential of these materials for high-power applications. A pulse with a magnitude up to 100 kV and rise time on the order of tens of nanoseconds was used to determine the dielectric strength of disks with a diameter of 2.54 cm and a thickness of 0.2 cm. A maximum electric field of 163.79 kV/cm was sustained before breakdown. This paper presents a statistical analysis of the dielectric strength data and projects the power handling capabilities of the composites.