Electromagnetic radiation is energy that interacts with matter. The interaction process is of great importance to the sensing applications that characterize material media. Parameters like constant dielectric represent matter characteristics and they are identified using emission, interaction and reception of electromagnetic radiation in adapted environmental conditions. How the electromagnetic wave responds when it interacts with the material media depends on the range of frequency used and the medium parameters. Different disciplines use this interaction and provides non-intrusive applications with clear benefits, remote sensing, earth sciences (geology, atmosphere, hydrosphere), biological or medical disciplines use this interaction and provides non-intrusive applications with clear benefits. Electromagnetic waves are transmitted and analyzed in the receiver to determine the interaction produced. In this work a method based in differential measurement technique is proposed as a novel way of detecting and characterizing electromagnetic matter characteristics using sensors based on a microstrip patch. The experimental results, based on simulations, show that it is possible to obtain benefits from the behavior of the wave-medium interaction using differential measurement on reception of electromagnetic waves at different frequencies or environmental conditions. Differential method introduce advantages in measure processes and promote new sensors development. A new microstrip sensor that uses differential time measures is proposed to show the possibilities of this method.
Keywords: differential measurement; dispersive media; microstrip sensor; multifrequency treatment; remote sensing.