Partial dielectric loaded septum polarizer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10686235-B2
Application number	US-201916269907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2019
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

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 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 divided waveguide portion, and further including one or more features that alter a first propagation mode of a signal within the polarizer section differently than a second propagation mode of the signal, wherein the one or more features are arranged differently among the first divided waveguide portion and the second divided waveguide portion;
a second waveguide coupled to the first divided waveguide portion of the polarizer section; and
a third waveguide coupled to the second divided waveguide portion of the polarizer section.

2. The waveguide device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more features includes a first septum feature within the first divided waveguide portion and on a first surface of the conductive septum.

3. The waveguide device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more features further includes a second septum feature within the second divided waveguide portion and on a second surface of the conductive septum, wherein the second septum feature is different from the first septum feature.

4. The waveguide device of claim 3 , wherein the second septum feature has a different size than that of the first septum feature.

5. The waveguide device of claim 3 , wherein the second septum feature has a different shape than that of the first septum feature.

6. The waveguide device of claim 3 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are each parallel to a central axis in a direction between the first common waveguide and the second and third waveguides, and extends between opposing sidewalls of the waveguide device.

7. The waveguide device of claim 3 , wherein the first septum feature is a first ridge that protrudes from the first surface, and the second septum feature is a second ridge that protrudes from the second surface.

8. The waveguide device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more features includes one or more sidewall features located on one or more sidewalls of the waveguide device.

9. The waveguide device of claim 8 , wherein the one or more sidewall features includes a first sidewall feature on a first sidewall of the waveguide device, and a second sidewall feature on a second sidewall of the waveguide device.

10. The waveguide device of claim 9 , wherein the first sidewall feature is different than the second sidewall feature.

11. The waveguide device of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first sidewall feature and the second sidewall feature is a recess.

12. The waveguide device of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first sidewall feature and the second sidewall feature is a protrusion.

13. The waveguide device of claim 10 , wherein the first sidewall feature has different dimensions than the second sidewall feature.

14. The waveguide device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more features includes a first number of features in the first divided waveguide portion, and a second number of features in the second divided waveguide portion.

15. The waveguide device of claim 14 , wherein the first number is different than the second number.

16. The waveguide device of claim 15 , wherein the second number is zero.

17. The waveguide device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more features includes a first feature in the first divided waveguide portion, and a second feature in the second divided waveguide portion, wherein the first feature is different than the second feature.

18. The waveguide device of claim 17 , wherein the first feature has a different size than that of the second feature.

19. The waveguide device of claim 17 , wherein the first feature has a different shape than that of the second feature.

20. The waveguide device of claim 17 , wherein the first feature is a septum feature, and the second feature is a sidewall feature.

21. The waveguide device of claim 1 , wherein the polarizer section includes an opening between the first and second divided waveguide portions and extending through the conductive septum.

Assignees

• Viasat Inc

Inventors

• Jensen Anders
• Voss John D
• Runyon Donald L

Classifications

• H01P1/161

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

• H01P1/172 Primary

  using a dielectric element · CPC title

• H01P1/173

  using a conductive element · CPC title

• H01Q21/064

  using horn or slot aerials (slotted waveguides arrays H01Q21/005) · CPC title

• H01Q13/06

  Waveguide mouths (horns H01Q13/02) · CPC title