Theory & Application of RF/Microwave Absorbers

Absorbers in the RF/microwave industry are materials that attenuate the energy in an electromagnetic wave. They are used in a wide range of applications to eliminate stray or unwanted radiation that could interfere with a system’s operation. Absorbers can be used externally to reduce the reflection from or transmission to particular objects and can also be used internally to reduce oscillations caused by cavity resonance. They can also be used to recreate a free space environment by eliminating reflections in an anechoic chamber. This paper will attempt to cover all aspects of absorbers from basic theory through applications and types plus testing methods.