Distance measurement by means of a groove guide oscillator

Abstract

In this work, a system for measuring the distance between two metallic plates is presented. A groove guide resonator operating in the X-band with an incorporated Gunn element serves as the distance sensor. According to the distance between the two metallic plates, the resonant frequencies of the groove guide oscillator change. In a first step, the fundamental resonant frequency of the groove guide oscillator at various distances is computed by means of the FDTD (Finite Difference Time Domain) method. In a second step, the resonant frequencies of the realized groove guide oscillator were measured. Although the signal's wavelength is about 30 mm, the resolution of the measurement is in the sub-millimeter level, i.e., about 25 mu m. Furthermore, in case of distance variations, even within a short time, the system is able to track distance variations nearly instantaneously. The resonant frequency information is processed using a heterodyne system.