This work presents a 16-way Ku-band radial power combiner for high power and high frequency
applications, using the very low loss TE01 circular waveguide mode. The accomplished design shows
an excellent performance: the experimental prototype has a return loss better than 30 dB, with a balance
for the amplitudes of ( 0.15 dB) and ( 2.5 ) for the phases, in a 16.7% fractional bandwidth (2 GHz
centered at 12 GHz). For obtaining these outstanding specifications, required, for instance, in highfrequency
amplification or on plasma systems, a rigorous step-by-step procedure is presented. First, a
high-purity mode transducer has been designed, from the TE10 mode in the rectangular waveguide to
the TE01 mode in the circularwaveguide, with very high attenuation (>50 dB) for the other propagating
and evanescent modes in the circularwaveguide. This transducer has been manufactured and measured
in a back-to-back configuration, validating the design process. Second, an E-plane 16-way radial
power divider has been designed, where the power is coupled from the 16 non-reduced-height radial
standardwaveguides into the TE01 circularwaveguide mode, improving the insertion loss response and
removing the usual tapered transformers of previous designs limiting the power handling. Finally, both
the transducer and the divider have been assembled to make the final radial combiner. The prototype
has been carefully manufactured, showing very good agreement between the measurements and the
full-wave simulationsThe authors would like to thank INMEPRE S.A., the diligence
in the manufacturing process. This work was supported
by the Spanish government under Grant (ADDMATE) No.
TEC2016-76070-C3-1/2-R (AEI/FEDER/UE) and the program
of Comunidad de Madrid S2013/ICE-3000 (SPADERADARCM
