Development progress : Plasma Antenna

Initial investigations were related to the feasibility of plasma antennas as low-radar cross-section radiating elements with further development and future commercialization of this technology. The plasma antenna R&D project has proceeded to develop a new antenna solution that minimizes antenna-detect ability by radar at the first instance. But since then an investigation of the wider technical issues of existing antenna systems has revealed areas where plasma antennas might be useful. A significant progress has been made in developing plasma antennas. Present plasma antennas have been operating in the region of 1 to 10 GHz.  Field trials have shown that an energized plasma reflector is essentially as effective as a metal reflector.

 However, when de-energized, the reflected signal drops by over 20 dB. Still some technicalities related to plasma antennas like increasing the operating plasma density without overloading the plasma discharge tubes, reducing the power required and the plasma noise caused by the ionizing power supply, etc, have to be looked into in order to make them the useful technologies for wireless communication in near future.

 The future of high frequency, high-speed wireless communication should very well be plasma antennas capable of transmitting focused radio waves that would quickly dissipate using conventional antennas. Thus, plasma antennas might be able to revolutionise not just high-speed wireless communications but also radar arrays and directed energy weapons. The good news is that plasma antennas will be on-the-shelf in the next couple of years. The bad news is that some military powers can use it to create a more advanced version of its existing pain beam.