US Patent 7274333 Pulsed plasma element

A method of operating a plasma antenna, reflector, director, and barrier, where the plasma antenna is pulsed at a pulse power for a pulse duration and a pulse frequency to energize a plasma within the plasma antenna for an afterglow duration, where the pulse duration is shorter than the afterglow duration. In this manner, the power required to operate the plasma antenna is dramatically reduced, while the power at which the antenna operates can be dramatically increased. In addition, the antenna operates primarily in the low noise afterglow phase. Thus, several problems in regard to the prior art are overcome.