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US 6,686,876 B1Granted
Photon primed non-radioactive gas plasma receiver protector
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Corporation
InventorSumantrai D. Patel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas plasma type receiver protector for a radar system includes a priming device in the form of a miniature high intensity blue light emitting diode (LED) ranging in wavelength from 470 nm to 490 nm, an ultra-violet LED, miniature lamp or laser diode ranging in wavelength from 260 nm to 470 nm.
Claims30
A photon primed non-radioactive gas plasma receiver protector for radar systems, comprising:
- a section of microwave transmission line coupled to radar receiver apparatus and including an input port and an output port;
- a first and a second RF reflection stage located between the input port and the output port of the section of transmission line for reflecting RF energy incident at the input port while propagating an attenuated portion of the RF energy to the output port;
- said first reflection stage including a discharge gap and at least one container including an ionizable gas located adjacent the discharge gap;
- said second reflection stage being positioned relative to the first reflection stage so as to reflect maximum RF energy back to the discharge gap to produce ionization of the gas in the container upon incidence of RF energy at the input port;
- and,
- at least one photon source in the first reflection stage for emitting photons ranging in wavelength from about 260 nm to about 490 nm and operating as a primer so as to generate seed electrons which initiate ionization of the gas in the container in response to incident RF energy at the input port.
3 more elements
A photon primed non-radioactive gas plasma receiver protector for radar systems, comprising:
- a section of waveguide coupled between a source of RF energy and radar receiver apparatus, said section of waveguide including an input port and an output port;
- at least one gas plasma stage located between the input port and a solid state diode stage located behind gas plasma stage and in front of the output port for reflecting RF energy incident at the input port while propagating an attenuated portion of the RF energy to the output port;
- said gas plasma stage including a resonant iris and a transparent container including an ionizable gas located adjacent the resonant iris;
- and,
- a photon source ranging in wavelength from about 260 nm to about 490 nm and comprised of an ultraviolet or blue light emitting diode or a minature ultraviolet lamp mounted on the section of waveguide for emitting photons into the transparent container, the photon source generating seed electrons for initiating ionization of the gas in the container in response to incident RF energy at the input port,
- said solid state diode stage being positioned relative to the gas plasma stage and including a semiconductor diode mounted inside the section of wageguide for reflective maximum RF energy back to the resonant iris to produce ionization of the gas in the container upon incidence of RF energy at the input port.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.