On-chip nanoplasma for adaptive electromagnetic protection
Abstract
Over the past decade, semiconductor diodes have served as the primary switching elements in adaptive electromagnetic (EM) protection, yet their performance has been compromised by parasitic effects and thermal accumulation, rendering them inadequate against the rapidly evolving landscape of high-power microwave (HPM) threats. Here we show that on-chip nanoplasma switches (NPMS), composed of gallium nitride electrodes on silicon carbide substrates, exhibit superior radio frequency (RF) and thermal characteristics, positioning them as ideal field-driven switches in RF front-end protectors. By integrating NPMS into metasurfaces, antennas and circuit limiters, we achieve an adaptive response that ensures low-loss transmission for normal signals and high shielding against HPMs, while offering extended operating bandwidth and substantially higher tolerance than conventional solid-state devices. This robust, nanoscale structure has significant potential for protecting unmanned aerial vehicles, radars, satellites and other highly integrated platforms requiring strength and stability in EM environments. The findings of this study open up new routes to support EM safety of high-precision detection and imaging for next-generation RF front ends, with straightforward scalability to millimetre-wave and terahertz frequencies.
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BibTeX
@misc{huang2026onchip,
title = {{On-chip nanoplasma for adaptive electromagnetic protection}},
author = {Ruiqi Huang and Hanqing Liu and Kui Dang and Yue Lang and Ruiyang Peng and Qihui Zhou and Qian Dong and Xiaocheng Ni and Yuan Xu and Jibin Liu and Yanlin Xu and Chenxi Liu and Song Zha and Jincheng Zhang and Peiguo Liu},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.15821},
eprint = {2608.15821},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.15821},
note = {CC0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - On-chip nanoplasma for adaptive electromagnetic protection
AU - Ruiqi Huang
AU - Hanqing Liu
AU - Kui Dang
AU - Yue Lang
AU - Ruiyang Peng
AU - Qihui Zhou
AU - Qian Dong
AU - Xiaocheng Ni
AU - Yuan Xu
AU - Jibin Liu
AU - Yanlin Xu
AU - Chenxi Liu
AU - Song Zha
AU - Jincheng Zhang
AU - Peiguo Liu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.15821
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.15821
AB - Over the past decade, semiconductor diodes have served as the primary switching elements in adaptive electromagnetic (EM) protection, yet their performance has been compromised by parasitic effects and thermal accumulation, rendering them inadequate against the rapidly evolving landscape of high-power microwave (HPM) threats. Here we show that on-chip nanoplasma switches (NPMS), composed of gallium nitride electrodes on silicon carbide substrates, exhibit superior radio frequency (RF) and thermal characteristics, positioning them as ideal field-driven switches in RF front-end protectors. By integrating NPMS into metasurfaces, antennas and circuit limiters, we achieve an adaptive response that ensures low-loss transmission for normal signals and high shielding against HPMs, while offering extended operating bandwidth and substantially higher tolerance than conventional solid-state devices. This robust, nanoscale structure has significant potential for protecting unmanned aerial vehicles, radars, satellites and other highly integrated platforms requiring strength and stability in EM environments. The findings of this study open up new routes to support EM safety of high-precision detection and imaging for next-generation RF front ends, with straightforward scalability to millimetre-wave and terahertz frequencies.
ER -