Electromagnetic radiation detection apparatus and method of detecting low levels of millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation

A hand-held portable apparatus for detecting low level pulses of millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation comprising:

• an electromagnetic field receiver comprising:
• a receiving antenna configured to receive an input signal at one or more frequencies ranging from 10 GHz to 100 GHz, and
• a diode detector, coupled to the receiving antenna, configured to convert pulses in the input signal into an output voltage signal, the pulses each having an electric field strength of at least 0.02 V/m and a duration of at least 5 microseconds;
• an electronic signal processor, encased in an electronically shielded housing, configured to produce an amplified, reduced-bandwidth, unipolar voltage signal based on the output voltage signal;
• and
• an output display, comprising a microprocessor and a graphical digital display, configured to receive the amplified, reduced-bandwidth, unipolar voltage signal and, wherein the microprocessor analyzes the amplified, reduced-bandwidth, unipolar voltage signal and drives the graphical digital display.

A method of detecting a low level of short pulses of millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation comprising:

• exposing a receiving antenna to pulses of electromagnetic fields from a signal generator, wherein the receiving antenna is configured to receive an input signal at one or more frequencies ranging from 10 GHz to 100 GHz;
• providing an output voltage signal via a diode detector coupled to the receiving antenna, wherein the output voltage signal is in response to the input signal;
• amplifying the voltage signal, to produce an amplified output voltage signal;
• producing a reduced bandwidth, unipolar voltage signal based on the amplified output voltage signal and proportional to a peak power of the input signal;
• amplifying the reduced bandwidth, unipolar voltage signal, to produce an amplified reduced bandwidth, unipolar voltage signal;
• analyzing the amplified reduced bandwidth, unipolar voltage signal with a microprocessor;
• and
• displaying a magnitude of the millimeter wave electromagnetic radiation via a graphical digital display.