Comments on the Use of Waveguide Simulators in Material Measurements

Summary form only given: There have been many papers on the testing or simulation of NIM materials where a small sample is placed in a parallel plate or rectangular waveguide. Almost none of the many papers in the literature that use this technique mention that they are using the well-known phased array waveguide simulator invented by Wheeler in 1948 and implemented by Hannan, Meier, and Balfour; the waveguide walls simulate an infinite series of images so that the sample represents an infinite array of elements, and the plane waves inside the waveguide represent an incident wave. It frequently occurs that a powerful technique developed in one technical area later finds utility in another technical area. This author believes there is a technical advantage in allowing the new users to understand the genesis, details, and limitations of this application.