Design and Analysis of Corrugated Conical Horn Antennas with Terahertz Applications

The focus of this thesis is the design and analysis of corrugated conical horn antennas for use in the THz region of the electromagnetic spectrum, for the company SWISSto12®. These antennas are designed to work across the industry standard WR frequency bands, as free-space radiators or as part of a larger quasi-optical network. The main analysis tools used in this work were the in-house mode-matching code, SCATTER, and the commercially available CST: Microwave Studio, which makes use of the finite integration technique. A version of SCATTER which incorporated creation of a corrugated horn antenna’s geometry from user chosen inputs was used to perform parametric sweep analysis when designing the horn antennas. The main design stages were (1) a rectangular to circular transition from a WR rectangular waveguide to a circular waveguide input, (2) a circular smooth-walled to corrugated transition and (3) a transition from a small diameter corrugated waveguide to either a large diameter corrugated waveguide or to free-space. Several styles were examined for the various design stages; the choice of style for the final designs was influenced not only by their performance but also by manufacturing feasibility and cost. Overall, nine individual designs for the WR-1.0. WR-1.5, WR-3.4, WR-5.1, WR-6.5, WR-6.5+, WR-10 and WR-10+ bands have been completed to meet the criteria set by SWISSto12; two of these designs have been manufactured and tested and the results from the measurements performed are presented here

Rectangular to Large Diameter Conical Corrugated Waveguide Converter Based on Stacked Rings

This paper considers the design and manufacture, using stacked rings, of a standard corrugated antenna for the WM-380 band for use as a converter from a WM-380 rectangular aperture to a large diameter conical corrugated waveguide. In-house mode matching software is utilised for the design and three prototypes manufactured using stacked rings. The level of agreement of the stacked ring prototypes with the design predictions for the return loss and HE11 modal coupling is measured and found to demonstrate high levels of agreement

Rectangular to Large Diameter Conical Corrugated Waveguide Converter Based on Stacked Rings

This paper considers the design and manufacture, using stacked rings, of a standard corrugated antenna for the WM-380 band for use as a converter from a WM-380 rectangular aperture to a large diameter conical corrugated waveguide. In-house mode matching software is utilised for the design and three prototypes manufactured using stacked rings. The level of agreement of the stacked ring prototypes with the design predictions for the return loss and HE11 modal coupling is measured and found to demonstrate high levels of agreement

Design and Analysis of Corrugated Conical Horn Antennas with Terahertz Applications

The focus of this thesis is the design and analysis of corrugated conical horn antennas for use in the THz region of the electromagnetic spectrum, for the company SWISSto12®. These antennas are designed to work across the industry standard WR frequency bands, as free-space radiators or as part of a larger quasi-optical network. The main analysis tools used in this work were the in-house mode-matching code, SCATTER, and the commercially available CST: Microwave Studio, which makes use of the finite integration technique. A version of SCATTER which incorporated creation of a corrugated horn antenna’s geometry from user chosen inputs was used to perform parametric sweep analysis when designing the horn antennas. The main design stages were (1) a rectangular to circular transition from a WR rectangular waveguide to a circular waveguide input, (2) a circular smooth-walled to corrugated transition and (3) a transition from a small diameter corrugated waveguide to either a large diameter corrugated waveguide or to free-space. Several styles were examined for the various design stages; the choice of style for the final designs was influenced not only by their performance but also by manufacturing feasibility and cost. Overall, nine individual designs for the WR-1.0. WR-1.5, WR-3.4, WR-5.1, WR-6.5, WR-6.5+, WR-10 and WR-10+ bands have been completed to meet the criteria set by SWISSto12; two of these designs have been manufactured and tested and the results from the measurements performed are presented here

Design and Analysis of Corrugated Conical Horn Antennas with Terahertz Applications

The focus of this thesis is the design and analysis of corrugated conical horn antennas for use in the THz region of the electromagnetic spectrum, for the company SWISSto12®. These antennas are designed to work across the industry standard WR frequency bands, as free-space radiators or as part of a larger quasi-optical network. The main analysis tools used in this work were the in-house mode-matching code, SCATTER, and the commercially available CST: Microwave Studio, which makes use of the finite integration technique. A version of SCATTER which incorporated creation of a corrugated horn antenna’s geometry from user chosen inputs was used to perform parametric sweep analysis when designing the horn antennas. The main design stages were (1) a rectangular to circular transition from a WR rectangular waveguide to a circular waveguide input, (2) a circular smooth-walled to corrugated transition and (3) a transition from a small diameter corrugated waveguide to either a large diameter corrugated waveguide or to free-space. Several styles were examined for the various design stages; the choice of style for the final designs was influenced not only by their performance but also by manufacturing feasibility and cost. Overall, nine individual designs for the WR-1.0. WR-1.5, WR-3.4, WR-5.1, WR-6.5, WR-6.5+, WR-10 and WR-10+ bands have been completed to meet the criteria set by SWISSto12; two of these designs have been manufactured and tested and the results from the measurements performed are presented here

Rectangular to Large Diameter Conical Corrugated Waveguide Converter Based on Stacked Rings

This paper considers the design and manufacture, using stacked rings, of a standard corrugated antenna for the WM-380 band for use as a converter from a WM-380 rectangular aperture to a large diameter conical corrugated waveguide. In-house mode matching software is utilised for the design and three prototypes manufactured using stacked rings. The level of agreement of the stacked ring prototypes with the design predictions for the return loss and HE11 modal coupling is measured and found to demonstrate high levels of agreement

GLINT

When the universe was roughly one billion years old, supermassive black holes (103-106 solar masses) already existed. The occurrence of supermassive black holes on such short time scales are poorly understood in terms of their physical or evolutionary processes. Our current understanding is limited by the lack of observational data due the limits of electromagnetic radiation. Gravitational waves as predicted by the theory of general relativity have provided us with the means to probe deeper into the history of the universe. During the ESA Alpach Summer School of 2015, a group of science and engineering students devised GLINT (Gravitational-wave Laser INterferometry Triangle), a space mission concept capable of measuring gravitational waves emitted by black holes that have formed at the early periods after the big bang. Morespecifically at redshifts of 15 < z < 30(∼ 0.1 − 0.3× 109 years after the big bang) in the frequency range 0.01 − 1 Hz. GLINT design strain sensitivity of (Formula presented.) will theoretically allow the study of early black holes formations as well as merging events and collapses. The laser interferometry, the technology used for measuring gravitational waves, monitors the separation of test masses in free-fall, where a change of separation indicates the passage of a gravitational wave. The test masses will be shielded from disturbing forces in a constellation of three geocentric orbiting satellites.Peer reviewe