Wave-Guide Measurements in the Microwave Region on Metal Powders Suspended in Paraffin Wax

Artificial dielectrics have been constructed with indices of refraction as high as 7.2 at a frequency of 9364 mc/sec by imbedding microscopic conducting flakes in paraffin wax. When good conductors such as Cu and Al are used, the resulting permeability is observed to be complex while the permittivity is substantially real. This phenomenon is in agreement with the theoretical results of Lewin. It is indicated that a low loss, high refractive index, artificial dielectric can be constructed by using powdered conductors if the particles are very small and possess a high electric polarizability.