Transmissive dynamic plasma steering method for radiant electromagnetic energy

• US 7,482,273 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Air Force
• Inventors: Klein, Timothy R., Rogers, Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene; Haissa
• Application Number:
  US11/518,742
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 438/474, 438/487, 438/676, 438/795, 343/779, 343/853, 343/905, 343/908, 343/909, 315/111.21
• US Class Current: 438/676
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/366 using an ionized gas

Abstract

Radiant electromagnetic energy beam steering method achieved following antenna conversion from electrical current and voltage characterized signals to radiant wave characterized signals by way of the influence of gaseous plasma of controlled plasma density and electron density on the electromagnetic energy. Reflection and refraction mechanisms are used to impose plasma influence on the steered electromagnetic energy. The employed plasma properties are determined by an electrically energized array of electrodes disposed along the plasma extent. Adaptation of the method to widely differing wavelength parts of the electromagnetic energy spectrum is included. A plurality of prior art patents is identified in supplement of present disclosure of the invention.

Claims

1. A plasma based dynamic method of pass through steering radiant electromagnetic energy, said method comprising the steps of:

disposing an array of selectively sized ionizable plasma gas concentration enhancing shapes in registration with electrode pairs of an array of electrode pairs received in a surface of an energy steering architecture; and

modulating electron density in ionized portions of said ionizable plasma gas of said plasma gas concentration enhancing shapes via electrical signals applied to selected of said energy steering architecture registered electrode pairs;

said modulating including dynamically changing voltages and waveforms applied to said selected electrode pairs and alteration of incident electromagnetic energy plasma pass through by ionized plasma electron density changes achieved through modulation energizing of said electrode pairs in said array of electrode pairs.

2. The plasma based dynamic method of pass through steering radiant electromagnetic energy of claim 1 further including the steps of selecting said electromagnetic energy from an energy band of radio frequency wavelength and choosing said selectively sized ionizable plasma gas concentration enhancing shapes to include enclosed ionizable plasma gas filled modules physically disposed in radio frequency wavelength dimensions.

3. The plasma based dynamic method of pass through steering radiant electromagnetic energy of claim 1 further including the step of choosing said electrical signals applied to selected of said energy steering architecture registered electrode pairs to include an ordered sequence of incrementally differing electrode signals along a selected orientation of electrode pairs within said array of electrode pairs.

4. The plasma based dynamic method of pass through steering radiant electromagnetic energy of claim 1 further including the steps of selecting said electromagnetic energy from an energy band of optical energy wavelength and choosing said selectively sized ionizable plasma gas concentration enhancing shapes to include ionizable gas containing surface recessions physically disposed in optical energy wavelength dimensions.

5. The plasma based dynamic method of reflectively steering radiant electromagnetic energy of claim 4 further including the steps of selecting said optical energy wavelength from an infrared wavelength range.

6. A dynamic method of guiding incident radio frequency energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma based energy directing system, said method comprising the steps of:

generating an incident radio frequency energy-refracting ionized gas plasma film over a surface within said plasma based energy directing system;

sending a beam of said radio frequency energy electromagnetic waves into said gas plasma film of said plasma based energy directing system; and

modulating electron density in said radio frequency energy-directing ionized gas plasma film via an array of plasma electron density controlling electrodes disposed adjacent said surface within said plasma based energy directing system;

said modulating including dynamically changing voltage patterns applied to said array of plasma electron controlling electrodes and generating direction altered radio frequency output beams from response of said incident radio frequency energy to electron density in beam encountered portions of said plasma film; and

said dynamically changing modulation voltages and waveforms imparting a phase modulation directivity on refracted, passed-through incident radio frequency energy from electromagnetic response of said incident radio frequency energy to controlled plasma density and electron density in said plasma film.

7. The dynamic method of guiding incident radio frequency energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma film based energy directing architecture of claim 6 wherein said guiding of incident radio frequency energy electromagnetic waves includes refracting said output beam of radio frequency energy electromagnetic waves during a single pass through said plasma film.

8. The dynamic method of guiding incident radio frequency energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma film based energy directing architecture of claim 7 wherein said step of generating an incident radio frequency energy-refracting gas plasma film over a surface within said plasma based energy directing apparatus includes ionizing a plurality of segregated plasma film segments each responsive to a pair of electron density controlling electrodes disposed proximate said surface of said plasma based energy steering system.

9. The dynamic method of guiding incident radio frequency energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma film based energy directing architecture of claim 8 wherein said step of ionizing a plurality of segregated plasma film segments includes ionizing of plasma film portions contained within adjacent closed capsule containers.

10. The dynamic method of guiding incident radio frequency energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma film based energy directing architecture of claim 9 wherein said steps of refracting, reflecting and refracting are accomplished within each of a plurality of said plasma film segments.

11. The dynamic method of guiding incident radio frequency energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma film based energy directing architecture of claim 8 wherein said step of modulating electron density in said radio frequency energy-directing ionized gas plasma film via an array of plasma electron density controlling electrodes includes performing said modulating via electrodes having transparency characteristics with respect to said incident radio frequency energy.

12. A dynamic method of guiding incident infrared energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma based energy directing system, said method comprising the steps of:

generating an incident infrared wavelength energy-refracting ionized gas plasma film over a surface within said plasma based energy directing system;

sending a beam of said infrared wavelength energy electromagnetic waves into said gas plasma film of said plasma based energy directing system; and

modulating electron density in said infrared wavelength energy-directing ionized gas plasma film via an array of plasma electron density controlling electrodes disposed adjacent said surface within said plasma based energy directing system;

said modulating including dynamically changing voltage patterns applied to said array of plasma electron density controlling electrodes and generating direction altered infrared wavelength output beams from response of said incident infrared wavelength energy to electron density in incident beam encountered portions of said plasma film; and

said dynamically changing modulation voltages and waveforms imparting a phase modulation directivity on refracted, passed-through incident infrared wavelength energy from electromagnetic response of said incident infrared wavelength energy to controlled plasma density and electron density in said plasma film.

13. The dynamic method of guiding incident infrared energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma based energy directing system of claim 12 wherein said step of generating an incident infrared wavelength energy-refracting ionized gas plasma film over a surface within said plasma based energy directing system includes disposing said plasma gas in a series of indentations received in infrared wavelength dimensions within said surface.

14. The dynamic method of guiding incident infrared energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma based energy directing system of claim 12 wherein said step of generating an incident infrared wavelength energy-refracting ionized gas plasma film over a surface within said plasma based energy directing system includes disposing said gas in non-ionized form and ionizing said gas with said array of plasma electron density controlling electrodes.

15. The dynamic method of guiding incident infrared energy electromagnetic waves in a plasma based energy directing system of claim 12 wherein said generating of direction altered infrared wavelength output beams comprises an inertia free steering of said infrared wavelength energy in a scanning pattern.