Spatial Power Combining and Splitting in Gap Waveguide Technology

Journal article, 2016

A single-layer spatial power splitter-combiner structure is packaged in gap waveguide technology. The measured metal-only back-to-back structure features an average insertion loss less than 2.3 dB and a return loss larger than 10 to 20 dB over the entire 75-110 GHz W-band. The design procedure is outlined and the measured and simulated results are shown to be in good agreement. The structure can be used as a stand-alone power splitter and/or combiner (single-mode, all-excited in-phase channels), a quasi-optical beamformer to excite an array of slot antennas in the top ground plane by ridge gap waveguides, or as a back-to-back RF component in grid amplifier designs.