Integrated single-piece antenna feed and circular polarizer

1. An integrated single-piece antenna feed having an axis with proximal and distal ends for propagating an electromagnetic wave, comprising:

a circular waveguide input having a circular opening at the proximal end and extending coaxially toward the distal end;

a circular waveguide to wrapped-single-ridged waveguide transition coupled to the circular waveguide input extending further along the axis toward the distal end and flaring radially outward relative to the axis into four waveguide branches;

a wrapped-single-ridged waveguide to coaxial waveguide transition coupled to the circular waveguide to wrapped-single-ridged waveguide transition wherein each of the four branches transitions into a single coaxial waveguide;

a coaxial feed horn coupled to the single coaxial waveguide of the wrapped-single-ridged to coaxial waveguide transition, the single coaxial waveguide disposed between a cylindrical subreflector support and an outer feed horn conductor, the cylindrical subreflector support extending coaxially from the feed horn still further toward the distal end; and

a subreflector located at the distal end and supported by the cylindrical subreflector support.

2. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 1 , wherein the circular waveguide input further comprises a flange disposed around the circular opening at the proximal end, the flange further comprising a plurality of mounting holes suitable for mounting the integrated antenna feed to a main reflector of an antenna system.

3. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 1 , wherein the power of an electromagnetic signal propagating from the circular waveguide input is split equally into the four waveguide branches.

4. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 1 , wherein each of the four waveguide branches is equally-spaced around and parallel to the axis.

5. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 1 , wherein the subreflector comprises a circularly symmetric optimized subreflector.

6. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical subreflector support comprises a center conductor of the coaxial feed horn.

7. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna feed is formed of a single-piece of metal that cannot be disassembled into its component parts.

8. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna feed is manufactured as a single-piece of aluminum using three-dimensional additive metal printing techniques.

9. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 1 , wherein the primary mode of electromagnetic wave transmission propagation through a throat of the coaxial feed horn comprises TE 11 mode.

10. An antenna comprising:

a ring-focus main reflector having an apex;

an integrated single-piece antenna feed having an axis with proximal and distal ends for propagating an electromagnetic wave, comprising:

a circular waveguide input having a circular opening at the proximal end and extending coaxially toward the distal end, wherein the circular waveguide input is mounted to the apex of the ring-focus main reflector;

a circular waveguide to wrapped-single-ridged waveguide transition coupled to the circular waveguide input extending further along the axis toward the distal end and flaring radially outward relative to the axis into four waveguide branches;

a wrapped-single-ridged waveguide to coaxial waveguide transition coupled to the circular waveguide to wrapped-single-ridged waveguide transition wherein each of the four branches transitions into a single coaxial waveguide;

a coaxial feed horn coupled to the single coaxial waveguide of the wrapped-single-ridged to coaxial waveguide transition, the single coaxial waveguide disposed between a cylindrical subreflector support and an outer feed horn conductor, the cylindrical subreflector support extending coaxially from the feed horn still further toward the distal end; and

a subreflector located at the distal end and supported by the cylindrical subreflector support; and

wherein the ring-focus main reflector comprises a focal length for generating a ring focus within open space between the outer feed horn conductor and the subreflector.

11. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 10 , wherein the circular waveguide input further comprises a flange disposed around the circular opening at the proximal end, the flange further comprising a plurality of mounting holes suitable for mounting the integrated antenna feed to a main reflector of an antenna system.

12. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 10 , wherein the power of an electromagnetic signal propagating from the circular waveguide input is split equally into the four waveguide branches.

13. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 10 , wherein each of the four waveguide branches is equally-spaced around and parallel to the axis.

14. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 10 , wherein the subreflector comprises a circularly symmetric optimized subreflector.

15. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 10 , wherein the cylindrical subreflector support comprises a center conductor of the coaxial feed horn.

16. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 10 , wherein the antenna feed is formed of a single-piece of metal that cannot be disassembled into its component parts.

17. The integrated single-piece antenna feed according to claim 10 , wherein the antenna feed is manufactured as a single-piece of aluminum using three-dimensional additive metal printing techniques.

18. A turnstile circular polarizer, comprising:

four branches of wrapped-single ridged waveguides, each of the branches oriented equidistant from an axis and at 90° intervals around the axis;

wherein two of the four branches of the polarizer are positive phase-shift waveguide branches, each having a +45° phase-shift and disposed opposite one another relative to the axis; and

wherein two remaining of the four branches of the polarizer are negative phase-shift waveguide branches, each have a −45° phase-shift.

19. The polarizer according to claim 18 , wherein each of the positive phase-shift waveguide branches comprises a waveguide having:

a floor closer to the axis;

a ceiling further from the axis;

two opposed walls, each extending from floor to ceiling; and

a plurality of floor to ceiling rib pairs extending from the opposed walls toward each other for achieving a +45° phase-shift in an electromagnetic wave propagating through the positive phase-shift waveguide branch.

20. The polarizer according to claim 18 , wherein each of the negative phase-shift waveguide branches comprises a waveguide having:

a floor closer to the axis;

a ceiling further from the axis;

two opposed walls, each of the walls extending from the floor to the ceiling; and

a plurality of wall to wall rib pairs extending toward each other from the ceiling and the floor configured for achieving a −45° phase-shift in an electromagnetic wave propagating through the negative phase-shift waveguide branch.