Expert Series

The measurement of the electromagnetic properties of materials using transmission line techniques

Phil Bartley

Abstract

Abstract

This course reviews the techniques for measuring the electromagnetic properties of materials using transmission line techniques. The transmission line could be coaxial, waveguide or free-space. It includes types of samples, frequency ranges, and calculating materials properties from measured s-parameters. A review of the electromagnetic materials properties and their relationship to molecular structure and composition is included in the course. The use and calibration of vector network analyzers, is explained, including the definition of s-parameters. The course includes measurement demonstrations using transmission line techniques.

Keywords

permittivity; permittivity measurement; dielectric measurement; complex permittivity; permeability; permeability measurement; magnetic measurement; complex permeability; material properties; intrinsic properties; vector network analyzer

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Presenter

Phil Bartley

Biography

Dr. Bartley received a BS and MS in Electrical Engineering from Old Dominion University in 1973 and 1976. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Georgia in 2005. While at Georgia he worked with the Agricultural Research Service of the USDA. This work involved measuring the permittivity of agricultural products. He has authored numerous technical papers. He is a Life Senior member of IEEE. He was a lecturer in the I&M Society Distinguished Lecturer Program. He regularly reviews papers for the society. His work experience includes positions at several US Naval facilities. His duties at these facilities included writing software for computer aided test systems. These systems included avionics, mines, guided bombs, and missiles. He was a microwave systems engineer and district manager at the Hewlett Packard Company, HP, in the 1980’s (the instrument portion of HP split off to become part of Agilent Technologies and is now Keysight Technologies). He developed the materials measurement software that was marketed as HP/Agilent/Keysight as 85070, 85071 and N1500. He co-founded Innovative Measurement Solutions, Inc. in 1984. He has taught at the Southern Polytechnic State University, Old Dominion University, and the University of Georgia. In 1997 the students named him ASAE teacher of the year at the University of Georgia. His current interests include using electromagnetic property measurements as a sensor for agricultural, pharmaceutical, medical, biological, chemical processes, and developing materials property measurement techniques.