Interaction of high-power microwaves with low-temperature plasma in a gas-discharge-tube-loaded SIW structure

Measured and simulated interactions between high-power microwaves and low-temperature plasma are investigated in this work. In a fabricated L-band substrate integrated waveguide with coplanar waveguide ends, a gas discharge tube is inserted through the waveguide as a plasma cell. Measurements of reflected and absorbed powers by the plasma are presented and their implications discussed. These results provide a groundwork for the development of a complete model for the interaction between high-power microwaves and low-temperature plasmas. Such a model can improve designs for plasma-enabled tunable RF devices.