The Step by Step Development of NRW Method
The Step by Step Development of NRW Method
The Step by Step Development of NRW Method
Abstract— This paper explains in details the NRW method iterative, simple, and able to characterize dielectric and
highlighting its mathematical procedure and analyzing the most magnetic materials. This method can be applied to TEM
important points and limitations to characterize the complex waves, normally related with coaxial cables or TE and TM
permittivity and permeability of dielectrics. The step by step waves, applied with waveguides. Here, we will present the
procedure help the researchers to well understand the physical development of the expressions for TE waves, but all equations
phenomenona involved and also is a tool to facilitate its can be used for TEM waves if the cutoff wavelength
implementation. Explanations on the limitations of the method in approaching infinity ሺߣ ՜ λሻ is considered.
situations where the return loss tends close to zero and the
disambiguation phase using two samples are detailed. The non- This paper comprises the Nicolson-Ross-Weir method
iterative method was evaluated as a candidate to characterize (NRW) that will be detailed discussed in section II. The
materials for radome applications. equation development due reflection and transmission
phenomena are presented in subsections A and B; the phase
Keywords— electric permittivity, magnetic permeability, radome ambiguity, in subsection C, and the divergence of the NRW
material, Nicolson-Ross-Weir measurement technique. method when the sample length is a integer length multiple of
half guided wavelength are described in subsection D. Finally
I. INTRODUCTION the concluding remarks are in section III.
In the early 1980’s, several USA companies were
competing for business sales on military and civil programs. II. THE METHOD NICOLSON-ROSS-WEIR
This competition fostered innovations in technology such that The Nicolson-Ross-Weir method (NRW) [2][3] is based on
internal costs could be lowered on each generation of the phenomenon of reflection and transmission of a certain
development. One technology area that the companies targeted material whose characteristics we want to know. These
for cost reduction was the ceramic radome. Different materials phenomena occur because of the difference between the
and processes were developed and many materials used in complex permittivity () and the complex permeability () of
electromagnetic applications, as antennas and radomes are the two environments involved (inside and outside the
lossy and need to be well characterized. The accurate material). As we get to know the effects of this phenomenon
measurement of lossy dielectric materials is challenging since and of the incident, reflected and transmitted waves it becomes
many resonant techniques lose sensitivity when applied to such possible to obtain the originating parameters of these effects (
materials and transmission-line methods are strongly e ). Most of the times, what we obtain aren’t the incident,
inuenced by metal losses. The goal was to assemble and reflected and transmitted waves but rather the scattering
know the relevant information needed to perform and matrix, which then gives us the values of those waves.
understand dielectric measurements on lossy materials. For
this, topics such as electromagnetics, circuit theory, related The literature generally presents the NRW algorithm as a
physics, measurement algorithms, and uncertainty analysis set of equations, without the important intermediate steps,
were extensively studied and reported in the literature [1], [4] usually separated from the explanation of the basis of
and [5]. transmission/reflection method bases resulting in a further
obstacle to the understanding of the method. In order to
There are several methods to obtain the electrical overcome this obstacle, the step by step procedure will be done
permittivity () and permeability () in non conductor materials in the following sequence: explanation of the equations related
using scattering parameters ൫ܵ ൯ , and can be cited by the with the reflection and transmission phenomena, highlighting
Nicolson-Ross-Weir (NRW) algorithm [2][3], effective the equations system resolution utilized by Nicolson-Ross-
parameter method [1], nonlinear least-squares solution [1], Weir, presenting one possible ambiguity solver method using
free-space method [1][5] and Courtney method also called two samples and analyzing the half-wavelength divergence.
Hakki and Coleman method [1], amongst others.
A. The equations development due reflection and
Here, explanations will be given about the NRW method in transmission phenomena
a gradual way in order to facilitate the understanding and The main idea is to propose a scenario where we have a
explore its advantages as to be an analytical method, non- material under test (MUT) inside a wave guide or a coaxial air
The complex propagation constant, ߛ, in the waveguide is a At this point, the relationship between ρ୰ and and ߛ is
function of the cutoff wavenumberܭ and of the wavenumber explicit. The following will explicit the relationship between ߝ୰
ܭ. and and ߛ. From (1), (2) and (3)
ൌ ۹ ܋ െ ۹ (1) ߛ ଶ ൌ ሺʹߨሻଶ ቂ
ଵ
െ
ఓೝ ఌೝ
ቃ (13)
ఒ మ ఒబ మ
ଶ
ୡ ൌ (2)
ౙ Solving for ߝ୰
ൌ ɘξɂρ (3) 1
0 2 ቈ 2 -ቀ2ቁ
2
c
Where ߣ is the cutoff wavelength, ɘ is the angular r =
r
(14)
frequency. Considering the wave propagation in a given way,
(1) can be rewritten as Following the next steps, (14) can be rewritten as shown in
(16), which is widely found in the literature. Squaring both
னమ ρ౨ க౨ ଶ ଶ sides of (11)
ɀ ൌ ට െቀ ቁ (4)
ୡమ ౙ
ଵ ఊమ
ൌ െ ሺଶగሻమ (15)
The wave impedance of TEM or TE waves is given by ஃమ
Solving for ߤ Figure 1. – Electromagnetic waves transmitting through and reflect from a
sample in a transmission line [1]
Assuming normal incidence in the material, using the ray This occurs becauseȞ is defined at interface as
tracing method or the method of impedance [6] it is possible to ாೝ
relate the coefficient of and ɀ with the scattering parameters Ȟൌ (27)
ா
൫ܵ ൯. Additional remarks suppose that the material is isotropic, When the wave propagates a distance ୧ in a material with
so, ଶଵ ൌ ଵଶ . Following, the ray tracing method is used. propagation constant , we correct its amplitude and phase by
݁ ఊబ ܧௗ௧ . (28)
Each term of the reflected wave at a distance ୧ of the
interface is given by
ܧ௧ௗ ݁ ିఊబ (29)
Dividing the (29) by (28) and computing the sum of the
reflected electric field, we obtain
Figure 2. – Multiple reflection at three materials interfaces σ ாೝ ሺଵିమ ሻ
݁ ିଶఊబభ = ଵଵ ൌ ଵ ଶ (30)
ா ଵିమ మ
Since the incident wave has a unit amplitude, material 1 is
equal to material 3 and material 2 is the MUT, from Fig. 2, we Similarly for ଶଶ , we obtain
find that the sum of reflected fields at the interface with the ܀ ડ൫ି ܈ ൯
sample (Ȟ୧୬ ሻ is given by ܁ ൌ (31)
ିડ ࢆ
ିଶఊ
Ȟ୧୬ ൌ Ȟଵଶ ଵଶ ଶଵ Ȟଶଷ ିଶஓ σஶ
ୀ Ȟଶଵ Ȟଶଷ ݁ (20) Alternatively, the equations of ଵଵ and ଶଶ can be obtained
by the impedances transfer equation, well explained in
Where Ȟ୧୨ and ୨୧ are, respectively, the reflection coefficient
reference [6].
and the transmission coefficient of the wave that propagates
from material “i” to material “j”. This sum is a well known For ଶଵ ǡ remembering that, in our case ଶଵ ൌ ଵଶ , we can
geometric progression. Then the equation can be rewritten as apply similar reasoning, than
ିଶఊ
భమ మభ మయ ୣషమಋై ସ ൌ ଷଶ ଶଵ ݁ ିఊ σஶ
ୀ Ȟଶଵ Ȟଶଷ ݁ (32)
Ȟ୧୬ ൌ Ȟଵଶ (21)
ଵିమభ మయ ୣషమಋై
Again, we have a well known geometric progression, so the
At the traditional setup, material 1 and material 3 are air. equation can be rewritten as
Based on (6), we can conclude that
యమ మభ షംಽ
Ȟଵଶ ൌ െȞଶଵ ൌ െȞଶଷ ସ ൌ (33)
(22) ଵିమభ మయ ୣషమಋై
Defining the electric field incident at interface , From (22), (23) and (33) we can obtain
propagating from material “i” to material “j”, the reflected field ൫ଵିమ ൯ షംಽ
Ȟ୧୨ , and the transmitted field ୧୨ , applying the boundary ܥͶ ൌ (34)
ଵିమ షమംಽ
condition of continuality of tangential component of electric
The scattering parameter ଵଶ measured at reference planes
fields across the interface then
showed at Fig. 1 is given by a correction in (34). The
୨୧ ൌ Ȟ୧୨ substitution of (25) into (34), followed the correction yields
୨୧ ൌ ͳ Ȟ୧୨ (23) ܀ ܀ ൫ିડ ൯ࢆ
܁ ൌ (35)
ିડ ࢆ
From (21), (22) and (23) we can obtain
B. Core NRW method: solving the system of equations
భమ ሺଵିୣషమಋై ሻ
Ȟ୧୬ ൌ (24) It is evident that to determine the complex permittivity and
ଵିమభ మ ୣషమಋై
permeability of the material, one only needs to solve for Ȟ and
The scattering parameter ୧୧ measured at a distance ୧ from ߛ the equations that relate the scattering parameters with Ȟ and
the sample (Fig. 1) is given by a correction in (24). Defining ߛ (in (26), (31) and (35)). The NRW method consists in
solving this system of equations. After that, to obtain the
ൌ ିஓ , Ȟ ൌ Ȟଵଶ , ୧ ൌ ݁ ିఊబ ǡ ݅ ൌ ͳǡʹ (25) complex permittivity and permeability the solution is applied
into (9) and (14).
Defining the auxiliary variables to solve the system As a general rule in an ambiguity problem, the solution is
based on more information to resolve an ambiguity. In this
ଵ ൌ େ ଶଵ େଵଵ (38) method, additional information is coming from another sample
ଶ ൌ େ
െ େ
(39) of different length.
ଶଵ ଵଵ
Mathematically, “n” could be any integer, but to have a D. Analysis of the divergence of the NRW method when the
physical sense, the imaginary part of ߛ should be negative, sample has a length multiple of half guided wavelength
since it is assumed that the wave propagates in the direction of This section will briefly show that for lossless materials,
+x, as Fig. 1, then, considering that Ԅ אሾെɎǡ Ɏሾ, “n” should
when the length of MUT is a multiple of ଶౝ, where ɉ is the
be natural, including zero. An important physical constraint guided wavelength, then ଵଵ ൌ Ͳ. Although the materials of
can be checked at this point, it is: ݈ܽ݁ݎሺߛሻ Ͳ, for passive interest are not lossless, remains valid the fact that the closer
material.
the thickness is a multiple of ଶౝ, ଵଵ is closer to zero.
This phase ambiguity is the main problem of the NRW
method, since this is supposed to be an analytical resolution.
The solution isn’t entirely analytical because of this ambiguity,
meaning that the NRW method raises a nearly closed formula
to obtain the material’s complex permittivity and permeability.
There are several ways to solve this problem. The most
ఒ
common is to use a very thin sample, in this case ܮ൏ ଶ , so
݊ ൌ Ͳ. Another possible way would be to use the group delay,
comparing the group delay calculated and the measured [3].
You can also start with a frequency closer to zero and small Figure 3. – The results of permittivity as a function of frequency using the
ఒ
frequency steps, in this case you may consider ܮ൏ ଶ for the Nicolson-Ross algorithm (solid line) [5]