Three-dimensional microstructures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10305158-B2
Application number	US-201715809701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	Jul 2, 2010
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus comprising a first power combiner/divider network and a second power combiner/divider network. The first power combiner/divider network splits a first electromagnetic signal into split signals that are connectable to signal processor(s). The second power combiner/divider network combines processed signals into a second electromagnetic signal. The apparatus includes a three-dimensional coaxial microstructure.

First claim

We claim:

1. An n-way three-dimensional coaxial microstructure operable at a selected wavelength of electromagnetic radiation, λ, comprising:
at least one three-dimensional coaxial microstructure divider having an input, a plurality of first output legs and a plurality of output ports operably connected to the input, the divider configured to split an electromagnetic signal received at the input across the output legs, the output legs each having a center conductor disposed within and surrounded by an outer conductor;
a plurality of conductive segments of length of λ/2, each segment operably connected to a respective output leg;
a star resistor having a plurality of resistor legs, each resistor leg operably connected a respective one of the conductive segments to electrically connect the star resistor to each output leg of the three-dimensional coaxial microstructure divider; and
at least one three-dimensional coaxial microstructure combiner having a plurality of input legs each operably connected to a respective output of a respective one of a plurality of signal processors, the combiner configured to combine the electromagnetic signals received at the input legs at an output of the combiner, the input legs each having a center conductor disposed within and surrounded by an outer conductor.

2. The three-dimensional coaxial microstructure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive segments each comprise a coaxial structure.

3. The three-dimensional coaxial microstructure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of conductive segments is disposed on a different vertical tier than the three-dimensional coaxial microstructure divider.

4. The three-dimensional coaxial microstructure of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of signal processors each has an input for receiving an electromagnetic signal and an output for supplying a modified form of the electromagnetic signal, each input of a respective one of the signal processors operably connected to a respective output port of the three-dimensional coaxial microstructure divider.

5. The three-dimensional coaxial microstructure of claim 1 , wherein two of the at least one three-dimensional coaxial microstructure dividers are disposed in a cascading configuration relative to one another.

6. The three-dimensional coaxial microstructure of claim 1 , wherein two of the at least one three-dimensional coaxial microstructure dividers are disposed on different vertical tiers.

7. The three-dimensional coaxial microstructure of claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional coaxial microstructure combiner is on a different vertical tier than the plurality of signal processors.

Assignees

• Nuvotronics Inc
• Cubic Corp

Inventors

• Sherrer David
• Rollin Jean-Marc
• Vanhille Kenneth
• Oliver Marcus
• Huettner Steven E

Classifications

• H01P5/02 Primary

  with invariable factor of coupling (H01P5/12 takes precedence {choke joints H01P1/04, H01P1/06}) · CPC title

• H01P3/06

  Coaxial lines · CPC title

• H01P5/183

  at least one of the guides being a coaxial line · CPC title

• H01P5/12 Primary

  Coupling devices having more than two ports (H01P5/04 takes precedence) · CPC title