Dielectric loss determination using perturbation

A perturbation approach is used to separate the conductor loss from the total measured loss of a dielectric material which fills a cavity. The technique is limited to cavities with good conducting walls. Accurate knowledge of the conductor conductivity determines the accuracy of the obtained results. Dielectric loss tangent is estimated over a wide range of frequencies. It is demonstrated that a significant improvement in the dielectric loss estimate may be obtained by removing the conductor effects through perturbation