IMP | Institute for Microwave and Plasma Technology

The IMP consists of a very international team (typically 6-7 academic staff and almost as many research assistants). The research institute has already guided 7 doctoral students to a doctorate. We have also had excellent experiences with DAAD students.

The IMP has established the two basic technologies GHz plasma technology and mixed-frequency IQ technology and verified them through various applications. 

With the recent breakthrough of the generation of in a chamber standing plasma, which is decoupled from the feed antenna, the IMP has a unique basis to contribute to climate protection to a high degree. In addition, a free-standing spherical plasma was recently generated!

For future new projects with these two basic technologies, research partners/investors are still being sought. There are currently also open resources for external development tasks in the plasma/field simulation area. 

GHz-Plasma Technology

• Between 433 MHz and 18 GHz and up to 6 kW, the IMP develops plasma sources by means of the hot S-parameter measurement technique and field simulation in all possible applications.
• Current topics: Uncoupled plasmas, free-standing plasmas, plasma jets, plasma chambers.
• Applications: Fundamentals for new fusion technology, 3D and 2.5D printing of metals and ceramics, materials spectroscopy, industrial furnaces, welding, surface cleaning.
• Environmental: CO2 savings in industrial heating processes (replacement for H2 or natural gas burners e.g. electric hot air systems or furnaces) especially for inline processes.
• Older developments: Household and shopping light lamps with best light spectrum and >90 lumen/W; GHz spark plugs.
• Our new plasma forming process: Allows to develop spark plugs with a simple tungsten wire, improves the plasma lamps regarding the life time, internal heat and efficiency. Allows to develop new kinds of furnaces with best efficiency and up to the highest temperatures. The vaporization of tungsten is not a problem. The 0.8-mm-diameter free-floating plasma sphere created at the IMP serves as an excellent foundation for many further developments, including fusion applications.

Mixed-Frequency IQ-Technique

• Future topics: Cat's Eye2.0 (all-weather and range-finding), fully automated checkouts.
• Ongoing applications: 3D indoor (and outdoor) localization (in mm range), autonomous driving.
• Latest development: RFID with tracking and multi-tag recognition.
• Largest development to date: sea rescue system with low-cost tags (without battery 5€ / 1 km range and with battery 15€ / sight horizon).
• Other possible fields of application: Building and bridge monitoring regarding vibrations, terrain monitoring, transmission distance measurements up to space.

The EU can Create the Future

One hundred years ago, roads were the government subsidy that got the economy going. Nowadays, it's the data networks. People are online much longer every day than they are on the road!!! The simplest and cheapest solutions for promoting the economy and strengthening Europe as a business location are free radio bands such as the 2.45 GHz band, which is used for WLAN, among other things, and is completely overloaded. It would be important to release further freely usable bands for data communication in the one and two-digit GHz range. Here, as with GSM technology, the EU would once again be a pioneer and provide many companies with scope for new innovative products.