Compact harmonic rejection filter for C-band high-power satellite applications

A compact high-power low-pass filter for C-band broadband satellite applications is presented in this paper. The filter is composed of three different sections. A 9th-order compact high-power multi-ridge structure achieves the fundamental mode stopband and the suppression of all-higher order modes. The required slope between the pass- and the stopband is accomplished by means of two step-shaped bandstop elements separated by very short waveguide sections. The passband of the filter is achieved through two compact matching networks. The filter is only 164-mm long, has less than 0.05 dB of insertion loss, handles 9.6 kW (single-carrier multipactor analysis), and has a very wide stopband (up to Ku-band). A dramatic size reduction has been achieved with respect to other commercially available solutions.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades – Agencia Estatal de Investigación under Project TE2017-85529-C3-2-R (AEI, FEDER-EU)

Multipactor breakdown analysis of Ku-band meandered low-pass filter

In this work, a very compact rectangular waveguide low-pass filter with meandered topology based on commensurate lines for Ku-band satellite applications is analysed for high-power handling capabilities. The device consists of rectangular waveguide sections properly cascaded to form a meandered topology to obtain the desired value of the local reflection coefficients. which are essential to achieve the target frequency response and also to keep large mechanical gaps. Hence, this technique allows us not only to design a filter with compact size but a filter geometry which is suitable for high power applications. In the paper, the low-pass filter based on commensurate lines is first designed by cascading E-plane mitered bends (±90° EMBs) in CST Microwave Studio (MWS) and then the values of the electromagnetic fields at the passband frequencies are exported to Spark3D to perform a multipactor analysis. The critical areas inside the device where the multipactor discharge occurs will also be identified in the high-power analysis. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7343236This work was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación –Agencia Estatal de Investigación (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) under Project PID2020-112545RB-C53 and by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant 811232-TESLA-H2020-MSCA-ITN-2018

General synthesis of tapered matching sections for single mode operation using the coupled-mode theory

In this paper, a novel and general method to synthetize microwave waveguide tapers intended for single mode operation is proposed. The technique is based on the use of an exact series solution of the inverse scattering synthesis problem. An additional strategy necessary for dealing with waveguides where the propagation constant varies with the position is included. The coupled-mode theory is employed to model the electromagnetic behavior of the taper with the inherent mismatch caused by the connection of the waveguides with different cross-sections. The novel method allows us to synthesize the (classical) transmission line taper functions of Klopfenstein and Hecken, making them suitable for general waveguide tapers with single mode operation. Additionally, a new type of taper functions, also suitable for general waveguide tapers, is presented. The novel functions are obtained by partially employing the frequency response of multisection transformers, resulting in fully smooth tapers that can offer shorter lengths than the classical proposals. The taper synthesis procedure is demonstrated in rectangular waveguide technology, by requiring realistic and challenging specifications for different cases with different waveguide cross-sections to be matched: height mismatch, width mismatch, and simultaneous height and width mismatch. Several prototypes of Klopfenstein, Hecken and novel function tapers have been fabricated in an aluminum alloy by means of an Additive Manufacturing technique (Direct Metal Laser Sintering). The simulation and measurement results obtained for the rectangular waveguide taper prototypes confirm the accuracy of the novel synthesis technique proposed.This work was supported by the MINECO (Spain) under project TEC2017-85529-C3-2-R (AEI, FEDER-EU)

Rectangular waveguide filters with meandered topology

In this paper, a new topology for rectangular waveguide bandpass and low-pass filters is presented. A simple, accurate, and robust design technique for these novel meandered waveguide filters is provided. The proposed filters employ a concatenation of ±90° E-plane mitered bends (±90° EMBs) with different heights and lengths, whose dimensions are consecutively and independently calculated. Each ±90° EMB satisfies a local target reflection coefficient along the device so that they can be calculated separately. The novel structures allow drastically reduce the total length of the filters and embed bends if desired, or even to provide routing capabilities. Furthermore, the new meandered topology allows the introduction of transmission zeros above the passband of the low-pass filter, which can be controlled by the free parameters of the ±90° EMBs. A bandpass and a low-pass filter with meandered topology have been designed following the proposed novel technique. Measurements of the manufactured prototypes are also included to validate the novel topology and design technique, achieving excellent agreement with the simulation results.This work was supported by ESA’s Networking/Partnering Initiative (NPI) under Contract 4000114859/15/NL/HK, Gobierno de Navarra under Project 0011-1365-2017-000130, and MINECO (Spain) under Projects TEC2014- 51902-C2-2-R and TEC2017-85529-C3-2-R

Synthesis of one dimensional electromagnetic bandgap structures with fully controlled parameters

In this paper, we propose a novel synthesis strategy for the design of one dimensional electromagnetic bandgap (1- D-EBG) structures where all the performance parameters of these devices can fully be controlled, i.e., the central frequency of the forbidden band, its attenuation level and bandwidth, and the ripple level at the passbands. The novel synthesis strategy employs a new inverse-scattering technique to accurately synthesize the 1-D-EBG structure, targeting a properly interpolated version of a classical periodic filter fulfilling the required frequency specifications. The new inverse-scattering technique follows a continuous layer peeling approach and relies on the coupled-mode theory to precisely model the microwave structures. Telecommunication and radar systems, as well as material characterization devices, will be profited by this proposal with which enhanced filters, sensors, power dividers, couplers, mixers, oscillators, and amplifiers can be designed in many different technologies. As a proof of concept, a 1-D-EBG structure in microstrip technology with a single forbidden band (free of spurious stopband replicas), with attenuation level of 30 dB, fractional bandwidth larger than 100%, and return loss level at the passbands of 20 dB, has been designed and fabricated. The measurements obtained are in very good agreement with the simulations and target specifications, being free of spurious replicas up to the 15th harmonic, showing the robustness and very good performance of the novel design strategy proposed.This work was supported by MINECO (Spain) under Projects TEC2014-51902-C2-2-R and TEC2014-55735-C3-R

Chirping techniques to maximize the power-handling capability of harmonic waveguide low-pass filters

A novel chirping technique is applied to the design of very high-power waveguide harmonic low-pass filters. The technique could be used, for instance, to avoid multipactor testing in multicarrier systems such as the output multiplexer of a communications satellite. The novel chirped filter shows low insertion loss, all higher order mode suppression, and broad stopband rejection up to the third harmonic. This paper focuses on the maximization of the filter power-handling capability without affecting its excellent frequency behavior. Given a certain frequency response, the E-plane mechanical gap of the structure and the length (in the propagation direction) of the waveguide sections between its constituent bandstop elements can be considered to improve the high-power behavior. However, the power performance may not be sufficient yet in some applications if we wish, for instance, multipactor testing to be avoided. This becomes feasible by chirping the length (in the propagation direction) of the bandstop elements. An example for Ku band is discussed for relevant frequency specifications. An improvement from ∼8 kW (non-chirped filter) to more than 100 kW (chirped filter) is obtained. As a reference, the equivalent waffle-iron filter can handle only 0.15 kW. Such high-power threshold levels have never been reported before for such kind of filters.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under Project TEC 2014-55735‐C3‐R

Producing and exploiting simultaneously the forward and backward coupling in EBG-assisted microstrip coupled lines

In this paper, a methodology is proposed for the design of EBG-assisted coupled line structures in microstrip technology, controlling independently the forward and backward coupling. It is based on the use of a single-frequency-tuned electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure to produce a single backward-coupled frequency band, in combination with the forward-coupled frequency bands produced by the difference between the even and odd mode propagation constants present in microstrip technology. Thus, the central frequency of the backward-coupled band is controlled by the period of the EBG structure, while the frequencies of the forward coupled bands are fixed by the length of the device. The rest of the frequencies go to the direct port giving rise to a device with the input port matched at all the frequencies and where the coupled bands are easily controllable by adjusting the corresponding design parameter. The novel methodology proposed has been successfully demonstrated by designing a triplexer intended for the GSM (900 MHz) and WLAN (2.4 GHz and 5.5 GHz) telecommunication bands.This work was supported by MINECO (Spain) under projects TEC2011-28664-C02-01 and TEC2014-51902-C2-2-R

Routing with classical corrugated waveguide low-pass filters with embedded bends

A very simple design method to embed routing capabilities in classical corrugated filters is presented in this paper. The method is based on the calculation of the heights and lengths of the so-called filters design building blocks, by means of a consecutive and separate extraction of their local reflection coefficients along the device. The proposed technique is proved with a 17th-order Zolotarev filter whose topology is bent twice so that the input and output ports are in the same plane while preserving the in-line filters behaviour. This new filter allows the possibility of eliminating subsequent bending structures, reducing the insertion loss, weight, and PIM.This work was supported by MINECO (Spain) (grant TEC2014-55735-C3-R, TEC2014-51902-C2-2-R, and TEC2017-85529-C3-2-R)

Passive microwave component design using inverse scattering: theory and applications

We briefly review different synthesis techniques for the design of passive microwave components with arbitrary frequency response, developed by our group during the last decade. We provide the theoretical foundations based on inverse scattering and coupledmode theory as well as several applications where the devices designed following those techniques have been successfully tested. The main characteristics of these synthesis methods are as follows. (a) They are direct, because it is not necessary to use lumpedelement circuit models; just the target frequency response is the starting point. (b)They are exact, as there is neither spurious bands nor degradation in the frequency response; hence, there is no bandwidth limitation. (c) They are flexible, because they are valid for any causal, stable, and passive transfer function; only inviolable physical principles must be guaranteed. A myriad of examples has been presented by our group in many different technologies for very relevant applications such as harmonic control of amplifiers, directional couplerwith enhanced directivity and coupling, transmission-type dispersive delay lines for phase engineering, compact design of high-power spurious free low-pass waveguide filters for satellite payloads, pulse shapers for advanced UWB radar and communications and for novel breast cancer detection systems, transmission-type Nth-order differentiators for tunable pulse generation, and a robust filter design tool.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación through the Project TEC2011-28664-C02-01. Magdalena Chudzik would like also to acknowledge Spanish Ministerio de Educación for its FPU Grant

Resonant quasi-periodic structure for rectangular waveguide technology with wide stopband and band-pass behavior

In this paper, a novel quasi-periodic structure for rectangular waveguide technology is proposed. The constituent unit cells of the structure feature a resonant behavior, providing high attenuation levels in the stopband with a compact (small period) size. By applying a smooth taper-like variation to the height of the periodic structure, very good matching is achieved in the passband while the bandwidth of the stopband is strongly increased. Moreover, by smoothly tapering the width of the structure, a band-pass frequency behavior is obtained. In order to demonstrate the capabilities of the novel quasi-periodic structure proposed, a band-pass structure with good matching, wide rejected band, and high-power handling capability has been designed, fabricated, and measured obtaining very good results.This work was supported by MINECO (Spain) under projects TEC2014-51902-C2-2-R and TEC2014- 55735-C3-R