Latching ferrite waveguide circulator without E-plane air gaps
View Patent ↗An apparatus, system, and method of and for a microwave circulator. The apparatus, system, and method includes a non-reciprocal element for coupling microwaves from an input port to at least one output port, wherein the non-reciprocal element is capable of isolating at least one of the at least one output port, and a plurality of fillers, wherein each of the plurality of fillers is corresponded to a portion of the non-reciprocal element, and wherein each of the plurality of fillers is substantially adjacent to the corresponded portion of the non-reciprocal element and at least substantially fills a span between the corresponded portion of the non-reciprocal element and a proximate conductor surface.
1. A system for circulating microwaves in a waveguide, comprising:
a waveguide, wherein said waveguide includes three ports;
a ferrite element that substantially exclusively couples microwaves from a first of said three ports to another of said three ports, wherein the substantially exclusive coupling is responsive to an activation of at least one magnetizable winding associated with said ferrite element; and
a plurality of fillers, wherein each of said plurality of fillers completely fills each span between said ferrite element and proximate opposing walls of said waveguide.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of fillers comprise at least one selected from dielectric spacers and quarter-wave dielectric transformers.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of plurality of fillers conforms to the ferrite element.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ferrite element is braced with at least one dielectric spacer separate from the dielectric filler.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of plurality of fillers substantially fills in an E-plane.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least three ports comprise waveguide arms arranged at 120 degrees that meet at a unified junction.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said ferrite element has a resonant portion at the unified junction.
8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising empirical impedance matching elements disposed on a conductive portion of said waveguide.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said impedance matching elements are capacitive dielectrics.