Experimental Study of Microwave Power Limitation in a Microstrip Transmission Line Using a DC Plasma Discharge for Preionization

Plasma-based microwave power limitation is experimentally investigated in a microstrip transmission line integrating a direct current (dc) plasma discharge for preionization. Steady state and transient high-power microwave measurements demonstrate that the preionization by the dc plasma discharge helps in reducing limiting power thresholds and time responses to about 30 dBm and tens to few microsecond, respectively. Besides, optical diagnostics also exhibit interesting behaviors of the plasma discharge such as diffusion and parasitic breakdowns. Finally, the effect of plasma confinement is discussed, and it is shown that reducing the volume devoted to plasma expansion leads to a decrease in the dynamic range of the microwave power limitation.