Radio frequency (rf) conductive medium

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a radio frequency (RF) conductive medium for reducing the undesirable insertion loss of all RF hardware components and improving the Q factor or “quality factor” of RF resonant cavities. The RF conductive medium decreases the insertion loss of the RF device by including one or more conductive pathways in a transverse electromagnetic axis that are immune to skin effect loss and, by extension, are substantially free from resistance to the conduction of RF energy.

1 . A radio frequency (RF) conductive medium, comprising:
 a solvent;   a dielectric material at least partially dissolved in the solvent, wherein the dielectric material is viscous; and   a plurality of conductive pathways disposed in the dielectric material.   
     
     
         2 . The RF conductive medium of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a substrate to hold the dielectric material.   
     
     
         3 . The RF conductive medium of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive pathways comprises at least one of carbon, silver, copper, aluminum, or gold. 
     
     
         4 . The RF conductive medium of  claim 1 , wherein each conductive pathway in the plurality of conductive pathways comprises at least one of a wire, a ribbon, a tube, or a flake. 
     
     
         5 . The RF conductive medium of  claim 1 , wherein each conductive pathway in the plurality of conductive pathways has a diameter no greater than a skin depth “δ” of the RF conductive medium at a desired frequency of operation. 
     
     
         6 . The RF conductive medium of  claim 5 , wherein the desired frequency of operation is at least one of: a desired resonant frequency of a cavity filter, a desired resonant frequency of an antenna, a cutoff frequency of a waveguide, a desired operational frequency range of a coaxial cable, or a combined operational frequency range of an integrated structure including a cavity filter and an antenna. 
     
     
         7 . The RF conductive medium of  claim 1 , wherein each conductive pathway in the plurality of continuous conductive pathways has a thickness of less than about 50 nm to about 4000 nm. 
     
     
         8 . The RF conductive medium of  claim 1 , wherein each conductive pathway in the plurality of conductive pathways has a thickness of less than about 1000 nm to about 3000 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The RF conductive medium of  claim 1 , wherein each conductive pathway in the plurality of conductive pathways has a thickness of less than about 1500 nm to about 2500 nm.