Experimental Comparison of Wideband and Narrowband Plasma-based Microstrip Power Limiters

This article presents the experimental work performed as part of the use of the non linear plasma-wave interactions in planar circuits to design microwave power limiters. A first non-resonant plasma-based microwave power limiter composed of a pre-ionized plasma discharge integrated into a 50 Ω microstrip line has been experimentally characterized with steady-state and transient measurements. These results have been then confronted at each step to a resonant one using the same plasma discharge. This study highlights the effect of the resonance on the non linear plasma-wave interactions and its consequences on the behaviour and the performances of a plasma-based microwave power limiter.