Partial dielectric loaded septum polarizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10249922-B2
Application number	US-201715482311-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2017
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

In an example embodiment, a waveguide device comprises: a first common waveguide; a polarizer section, the polarizer section including a conductive septum dividing the first common waveguide into a first divided waveguide portion and a second waveguide divided portion; a second waveguide coupled to the first divided waveguide portion of the polarizer section; a third waveguide coupled to the second divided waveguide portion of the polarizer section; and a dielectric insert. The dielectric insert includes a first dielectric portion partially filling the polarizer section. The conductive septum and the dielectric portion convert a signal between a polarized state in the first common waveguide and a first polarization component in the second waveguide and a second polarization component in the third waveguide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A waveguide device comprising:
a first layer comprising an upper section of a first common waveguide and a first divided waveguide portion;
a second layer comprising a lower section of the first common waveguide and a second divided waveguide portion; and
a third layer between the first layer and the second layer, the third layer comprising an intermediate section of the first common waveguide, and further comprising a first conductive septum dividing an opening in the first common waveguide to define the first divided waveguide portion and the second divided waveguide portion, wherein:
the first layer further comprises an upper section of a second common waveguide and a third divided waveguide portion;
the second layer further comprises a lower section of the second common waveguide and a fourth divided waveguide portion; and
the third layer further comprising an intermediate section of the second common waveguide, and a second conductive septum dividing an opening in the second common waveguide to define the third divided waveguide portion and the fourth divided waveguide portion.

2. The waveguide device of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive septum is offset from a center of the third layer.

3. The waveguide device of claim 2 , wherein the first conductive septum is arranged on a surface of the third layer.

4. The waveguide device of claim 1 , wherein:
a bottom surface of the first layer contacts an upper surface of the third layer; and
an upper surface of the second layer contacts a lower surface of the third layer.

5. The waveguide device of claim 1 , further comprising a dielectric insert partially filling the first common waveguide.

6. The waveguide device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first layer further comprises a first combiner/divider coupled to the first divided waveguide portion; and
the second layer further comprises a second combiner/divider coupled to the second divided waveguide portion.

7. The waveguide device of claim 6 , wherein:
the first combiner/divider is further coupled to the third divided waveguide portion within the first layer; and
the second combiner/divider is further coupled to the fourth divided waveguide portion within the second layer.

8. The waveguide device of claim 1 , wherein the third layer further comprises a section of the second divided waveguide portion.

9. The waveguide device of claim 1 , further comprising a combiner/divider structure including combiner/dividers within the first, second and third layers and coupled to the first and second divided waveguide portions.

10. A waveguide device comprising:
a first layer comprising an upper section of a first common waveguide and a first divided waveguide portion;
a second layer comprising a lower section of the first common waveguide and a second divided waveguide portion;
a third layer between the first layer and the second layer, the third layer comprising an intermediate section of the first common waveguide, and further comprising a first conductive septum dividing an opening in the first common waveguide to define the first divided waveguide portion and the second divided waveguide portion, wherein the second layer further comprises an upper section of a second common waveguide and a third divided waveguide portion;
a fourth layer comprising a lower section of the second common waveguide and a fourth divided waveguide portion; and
a fifth layer between the second layer and the fourth layer, the fifth layer comprising an intermediate section of the second common waveguide, and further comprising a second conductive septum dividing an opening in the second common waveguide to define the third divided waveguide portion and the fourth divided waveguide portion.

11. The waveguide device of claim 10 , wherein the fifth layer has an H-frame cross-section.

12. The waveguide device of claim 10 , wherein:
the first layer further comprises an upper section of a third common waveguide and a fifth divided waveguide portion;
the second layer further comprises a lower section of the third common waveguide and a sixth divided waveguide portion; and
the third layer further comprising an intermediate section of the third common waveguide, and a third conductive septum dividing an opening in the third common waveguide to define the fifth divided waveguide portion and the sixth divided waveguide portion.

13. The waveguide device of claim 12 , wherein:
the first layer further comprises a first combiner/divider coupled to the first divided waveguide portion; and
the second layer further comprises a second combiner/divider coupled to the second divided waveguide portion.

14. The waveguide device of claim 13 , wherein:
the first combiner/divider is further coupled to the fifth divided waveguide portion within the first layer; and
the second combiner/divider is further coupled to the sixth divided waveguide portion within the second layer.

15. The waveguide device of claim 10 , wherein the first conductive septum is offset from a center of the third layer.

16. The waveguide device of claim 15 , wherein the first conductive septum is arranged on a surface of the third layer.

17. The waveguide device of claim 10 , wherein:
a bottom surface of the first layer contacts an upper surface of the third layer; and
an upper surface of the second layer contacts a lower surface of the third layer.

18. The waveguide device of claim 10 , further comprising a dielectric insert partially filling the first common waveguide.

19. The waveguide device of claim 10 , wherein:
the first layer further comprises a first combiner/divider coupled to the first divided waveguide portion; and
the second layer further comprises a second combiner/divider coupled to the second divided waveguide portion.

20. The waveguide device of claim 19 , wherein:
a third combiner/divider is coupled to the third divided waveguide portion within the second layer; and
a fourth combiner/divider is further coupled to the fourth divided waveguide portion within the fourth layer.

21. The waveguide device of claim 10 , wherein the third layer further comprises a section of the second divided waveguide portion.

22. The waveguide device of claim 10 , further comprising a combiner/divider structure including combiner/dividers within the first, second and third layers and coupled to the first and second divided waveguide portions.

23. A method of manufacturing a waveguide device, the method comprising:
forming a first layer comprising an upper section of a first common waveguide and a first divided waveguide portion;
forming a second layer comprising a lower section of the first common waveguide and a second divided waveguide portion; and
forming a third layer between the first layer and the second layer, the third layer comprising an intermediate section of the first common waveguide, and further comprising a first conductive septum dividing an opening in the first common waveguide to define the first divided waveguide portion and the second divided waveguide portion, wherein:
the first layer further comprises an upper section of a second common waveguide and a third divided waveguide portion;
the second layer further comprises a lower section of the second common waveguide and a fourth divided waveguide portion; and
the third layer further comprising an intermediate section of the second common waveguide, and a second conductive septum dividing an opening in the se

Assignees

• Viasat Inc

Inventors

• Jensen Anders
• Voss John Daniel
• Runyon Donald Lawson

Classifications

• H01P1/172 Primary

  using a dielectric element · CPC title

• H01Q13/06

  Waveguide mouths (horns H01Q13/02) · CPC title

• H01P1/173

  using a conductive element · CPC title

• H01P1/161 Primary

  sustaining two independent orthogonal modes, e.g. orthomode transducer {(combining or separating polarisations and frequencies H01P1/2131)} · CPC title