Advances in quasioptical grid array technology for millimeter-wave plasma imaging diagnostics

Quasioptical grid array technologies can provide low cost, wide bandwidth s ources supplying 100-500 mW power levels needed for reflectometric and elec tron cyclotron imaging of fusion plasmas. Broadband quasioptical overmoded waveguide frequency multiplier grid array systems have been designed, simul ated, fabricated, and are under test with a goal of providing Watt level ou tput powers from 50 to 200 GHz. Both 1 x 8, one-dimensional and 4 x 4, two- dimensional phased antenna arrays utilizing Schottky varactor loaded transm ission lines have been designed, simulated, fabricated, and are being teste d. Microelectromechanical systems have been designed and fabricated on sili con wafers with traditional integrated circuit processing techniques, resul ting in devices with physical dimensions on the order of a few tens of micr ons. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.