Calibration of a microwave interferometer for MUSE

The MUSE Stellarator is the first tabletop, permanent-magnet, and quasi-axisymmetric experiment. As MUSE is newly developed, an interferometer would be a significant addition to enhance functionality of the stellarator. An interferometer is a device used to detect change in plasma density via interference of waves. This project aims to use interferometry as a technique to measure fast measurements of density to assess particle loss and instability. We describe efforts to calibrate and test the microwave interferometer for use on MUSE. The system was tested for accuracy by measuring the phase shift imparted by dielectric samples with known index of refraction. We present calibration procedures and the initial test results.