Ultimate thickness to bandwidth ratio of radar absorbers

Analytic properties of the reflection coefficient of a multilayer metal-backed slab are considered. The result is a new form of the dispersion relationship, which characterizes the integral of the reflectance over wavelength in terms of the total thickness and averaged static permeability of the slab. The relation may be transformed to an inequality, which produces the least thickness to bandwidth ratio achievable for a physically realizable radar absorber. The particular cases of broad-band and narrow-band absorbers are discussed. The least thickness of a 10-dB broad-band dielectric radar absorber is shown to be 1/17 of the largest operating wavelength. The discussion also involves the results of a numerical study.