Nonlinear metamaterial surfaces for absorption of high power microwave surface currents

Surface currents due to high power microwaves can damage or interfere with sensitive antennas and electronic devices. Absorbers tend to be thick and heavy, and reactive coatings such as high impedance surfaces alter the scattering properties of a surface, thereby affecting the radiation pattern of nearly antennas. In this paper, a novel metamaterial surface with nonlinear properties is introduced, and we numerically demonstrate how this structure overcomes the limitations of conventional absorbers or reactive surfaces, and how it works as an absorbing structure for high power microwave surface currents without affecting the behavior of the surface of low power levels.