Measurement of Dielectric Multipactor Thresholds at 110 GHz

We report experimental measurements of the threshold for multipactor discharges on dielectric surfaces at 110 GHz. Multipactor was studied in two geometries: electric field polarized parallel to or perpendicular to the sample surface. Measured multipactor thresholds ranged from 15 to 34 MV/m, more than 10 times higher than those found at conventional microwave frequencies. Measured thresholds were compared with prior data at lower frequencies, showing agreement with theoretical predictions that thresholds increase linearly with frequency. Measurements of the rf power dissipated in the multipactor show low dissipation (<= 1%) for the parallel electric field case, but very strong dissipation for the perpendicular case, also in agreement with theoretical predictions. The agreement between experiment and theory over a wide range of frequencies provides a strong basis for the understanding of dielectric multipactor discharges.