Chiral media characterization using both linear and circular polarized waves

Abstract

A new free-wave experimental method for chiral media characterization is presented. The setup is based on a pair of dual horn antennas and a diplexer 90 • phase shifter, which allows to produce both circularly and linearly polarized waves and to measure the co-and cross-polar components of the transmission and reflection coefficients of a chiral slab under normal illumination. Then, six experimental measurements are available to retrieve three constitutive parameters. Furthermore, by including the reflection coefficient of the backed metal sample an over determined system of equations is obtained, which leads to increase the accuracy of the material characterization.