Novel Metamaterial Lined Probe for High Precision Planar Near-Field Measurements

For planar near field (PNF) antenna measurements, the size of the probe is a critical parameter since the multiple reflections with the device under test (DUT) affect the overall measurement uncertainty. In this communication, the modal expansion theory (MET) is used to design an open-ended waveguide (OEW) with reduced cross section, using a metamaterial lining of the inner walls of the probe. The performance of this novel design is compared in a measurement experiment to a standard metallic probe covering the same nominal bandwidth.