Dielectric-loaded Waveguide Research Articles

Cherenkov diffraction radiation dielectric button characterization via a slab-line

Cherenkov diffraction radiation is generated when a charged particle beam passes in close proximity to a dielectric target, and is currently being studied and developed for various non-invasive beam instrumentation applications at CERN. One such instrument is a beam position monitor (BPM) composed of four cylindrical dielectric inserts. A challenge of using the conventional stretched wire technique to characterize the BPM up to high frequencies is the coupling of unwanted higher order modes (HOM) into the inserts that are dielectric-loaded circular waveguides. To minimize the generation of HOMs and excite mainly the transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode as a model of the beam field, a set-up comprising a dielectric insert mounted on a slab line with 50 Ω characteristic impedance was tested. The results and comparison with numerical simulations in CST are be presented.

Towards a compact all-optical terahertz-driven electron source

In this study, we propose a physical design of a compact all-optical terahertz (THz)-driven electron source. The 300-mm accelerator beamline, powered by a Joule-level laser system, can be easily integrated into the tabletop scale. A THz-driven electron gun, a tapered dielectric-loaded cylindrical waveguide, THz-driven bunch compressors, and permanent magnetic solenoids (PMSs) have been designed and optimized. Dynamic simulations show that the electron source can deliver 19 fC electron beams at 3 MeV, with a normalized transverse emittance of 0.079 π.mm.mrad. A minimum relative energy spread of 0.04% or a minimum root-mean-square (RMS) bunch length of 6.1 fs can be achieved. Sensitivity analysis shows that the THz-driven electron source can effectively work with a laser power jitter within 1.5%. Simulation studies also reveal the potential of the designed THz-driven electron source for achieving high-quality ultrafast electron diffraction (UED). Prototype THz-driven electron guns have been fabricated and are currently under testing, and more comprehensive results will be reported in future works.

An efficient determination of field distributions in E-plane dielectric loaded waveguides

ABSTRACT This paper proposes a new, fast, and efficient method for determining the electromagnetic field distribution in two-port E-plane dielectric-loaded uniform rectangular waveguides. The analysis region is divided into individual blocks in the absence and presence of dielectric obstacles. The non-zero electric and magnetic field components are constructed throughout the system via the proposed method by utilizing the generalized scattering matrix method between blocks for unimodal or multimodal excitation. The resulting field distributions are compared to those obtained from commercial software, with very close agreement achieved, but with a significantly reduced computational time for the proposed method. The method is applicable in a straightforward manner and has been tested on both a filter device with relatively complex geometry and a disjoint system with a modal coupling challenge between its elements. The field components' accuracy is also tested by calculating the Poynting vector along the system. Additionally, this approach provides the global scattering parameters at the physical ports as a co-product. The proposed method has the potential to be applied to various two-port networks by using the proposed method according to the considered problem.

Comprehensive Multimode Reflection Analysis of a Dielectric-Loaded Rectangular Waveguide Terminated by Semi-Infinite Dielectric Media

This article presents a comprehensive multimode reflection analysis of a dielectric-loaded rectangular waveguide terminated by semiinfinite dielectric media. A Fourier-based analysis approach is extended for different incident modes of the waveguide to calculate the amplitude coefficients of the reflected modes when the flange or the waveguide walls have different finite conductivities. We calculate the complex propagation constant using the method of perturbation of the boundary conditions. The modal scattering parameters are defined based on the voltage wave normalized amplitudes to be valid for both propagating and evanescent fields. The inclusion of coupled and noncoupled modes in the solution is evaluated in terms of calculation time and the accuracy of the results. An algorithm is presented to calculate the reflection coefficient of variations in terms of the coupled modes included in the solution. It is shown that these variations are dependent on the operating frequency and dielectric properties used in the geometry. Our results are compared with 3-D full-wave simulations, and an excellent agreement is achieved over a wide frequency range by using the primary coupled modes in the solution. The modal aperture admittance is calculated for different modes to show the coupled modes’ effect on the results. Also, the proposed algorithm is modified to find the effective coupled modes much faster. These modes are used to obtain accurate results for different dielectric-loaded structures.

Investigation on Multipactor in Double-Sided Dielectric-Loaded Microwave Components

This article presents a study of the multipactor effect in a double-sided dielectric-loaded parallel-plate waveguide. To this end, a 1-D electrostatic particle-in-cell model is established, which considers the radio frequency electric fields, space charge fields, and surface charge fields generated by the accumulated charge on the dielectric surface. The dynamic evolution of multipactor breakdown for different operating voltages and dielectric materials with different secondary electron yield (SEY) properties is investigated by numerical calculation. The results obtained show that multipactor does occur self-extinguishing phenomenon due to the presence of the surface charge fields under certain circumstances in the double-sided dielectric-loaded parallel-plate waveguide. Moreover, a comparative study of multipactor between metal, single-sided, and double-sided dielectric-loaded parallel-plate waveguides is carried out. The simulation results show that the self-extinguishing time of the multipactor in the double-sided dielectric-loaded model is less than that in the single-sided dielectric-loaded model. Finally, a multipactor susceptibility diagram for the SEY curve of different bottom dielectric materials in the parallel-plate waveguide is constructed. The results show that the single-sided dielectric-loaded microwave components are more beneficial to suppress the multipactor effect. The results reported in this study can be used to guide the design of space high-power microwave components.

Additively Manufactured Half-Gutman Lens Antenna for Mobile Satellite Communications

In this letter, we present an additively manufactured half-Gutman lens antenna operating at 30 GHz. The hemispherical lens allows for a compact beamformer while maintaining the wide scanning capabilities of Gutman lenses. This solution further enables to better integrate the feed system when compared to a more conventional half-Luneburg lens antenna design as the focal arc is moved inside the lens. The graded-index of the lens is implemented with a periodic structure arranged in a body-centred cubic (BCC) lattice. We demonstrate that the BCC structure provides attractive properties for the design of inhomogeneous dielectric lenses. Importantly, the BCC structure can be used to alleviate the manufacturing constrains compared to conventional periodic structures. The lens is fed by a dielectric-loaded square waveguide. The proposed antenna produces a directive beam with a simulated and measured peak gain of 26.2 and 25.3 dBi. The antenna can steer its beam in a 50 <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> range in elevation with measured scan loss and sidelobe levels below 1 dB and <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-$</tex-math></inline-formula> 10 dB, which agree with the simulated values. The measured cross polarization discrimination is better than 20 dB. The proposed antenna is intended for the ground segment of the emerging low-Earth-orbit satellite communication applications.

Optical Set-Reset Flip-Flop based on Dielectric-Loaded Graphene-Plasmonic waveguides

In this paper, an optical Set-Reset (SR) flip-flop based on dielectric-loaded graphene-plasmonic waveguides (DLGPWs) working in the mid-infrared region is presented. The design is based on using an additional signal called Bias and the interference effect between the input signals. The graphene sheet is modeled using the Kubo formula, and the performance of the flip-flop is numerically evaluated utilizing the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD). Various situations that may occur for the proposed flip-flop as well as the effects of possible imperfections including lack of synchronization between switches and fabrication errors are examined in detail. The minimum extinction ratio (ER) obtained from the time response is equal to 9.95 dB at λ = 10.8 µm which can also be enhanced by increasing the amplitude of the Bias signal. The proposed structure with features such as a footprint of 13.52 μm2, maximum frequency of 886 GHz, and high ER value could pave the way for the design and use of high-speed and efficient optical sequential devices instead of electronic counterparts.

Bound modes in the continuum in integrated photonic LiNbO3 waveguides: are they always beneficial?

We discuss several types of integrated photonic LiNbO3 waveguides supporting propagation of modes which can be classified as bound states in the continuum (BICs). The key properties leading to the existence of BICs (or quasi-BICs) considered here are the material anisotropy, the waveguide birefringence, or the combination of both. Typical examples are titanium diffused and proton exchanged waveguides in bulk LiNbO3 crystals and recently proposed dielectric-loaded waveguides on LiNbO3 thin films. Proton exchanged waveguides in thin film LiNbO3 are considered, too. These waveguide structures are discussed from the point of view of their benefit for applications, especially in electro-optic devices.

Simulation and Measurement of an Interaction Structure With Distributed Radiation Coupling Circuit for a High-Power Ku-Band Gyro-TWT

Design and measurement of a distributed radiation coupling (DRC) circuit for the Ku -band TE11-mode gyrotron traveling wave tube (gyro-TWT) amplifier are presented. Different from the dielectric-loaded (DL) waveguide, the proposed DRC circuit can suppress the parasitic modes by achieving sufficient radiation coupling losses. It has the merit of lowering the microwave power loss density, which can improve the tube stability and average power-handling capability. Based on this proposed DRC circuit, a Ku -band TE11-mode gyro-TWT was designed and the particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation shows it can obtain a saturated output power of over 150 kW from 15.3 to 17.2 GHz for an electron beam with a velocity spread of 4.35%. As a comparison, the maximum average microwave power loss density is only 20% of the DL circuit under the same operating parameters. For verification, a DRC circuit was manufactured and cold tested. The maximum deviation between the measured results and our analysis is within 10%.

Theory and measurement of the single and hybrid-mode excitation and evolution in a lossy-dielectric-loaded waveguide

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the mode excited, evolved, and propagating properties of the lossy dielectric-loaded waveguide (DLW) used in a Ku-band TE11-mode gyrotron traveling wave tube (gyro-TWT). Theoretical calculation and numerical simulation show that different DLW eigenmodes can be excited by the hollow circular waveguide as a single or hybrid-mode. This study clearly reveals the transformation conditions of the single and hybrid-mode, and the mechanism of the resulting specific dispersion, loss, and electromagnetic field distribution. According to the mode excitation principle and its evolution laws, the propagating properties can be accurately controlled by adjusting the dielectric thickness, which can effectively suppress the potential oscillations and improve the electron bunching phase in the gyro-TWT. As a result, the dielectric loading scheme can be optimized by properly arranging the DLWs, thus enhancing the stability and gain of the gyro-TWT. The theory and simulation are verified by the vector network analyzer measurement at Ku-band, and the results show a good agreement.

Picosecond timing planes for future collider detectors

We report experimental test-beam results on dielectric-loaded waveguide detectors that utilize microwave Cherenkov signals to time and characterize high energy particle showers. These results are used to validate models and produce high-fidelity simulations of timing plane systems which yield picosecond time tags and millimeter spatial coordinates for the shower centroid. These timing planes, based on the Askaryan effect in solid dielectrics, are most effective at the high center-of-momentum energies planned for the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh), and are of particular interest in the forward region due to their high radiation immunity. We use our beam test results and GEANT4 simulations to validate a hybrid microwave detector model, which is used to simulate a reference timing plane design for the FCC forward calorimeters. Our results indicate that 0.5-3 ps particle timing is possible for a wide range of collision products in the reference FCC hadron collider detector, even with current technology.

Electromagnetic and Electrostatic Particle-in-Cell Simulations for Multipactor in Parallel-Plate Waveguide

This article introduced a multipactor threshold criterion based on collision and emission currents, and the simulation results were compared using a traditional method. The impact of macroparticle weight on multipactor saturation was studied using electromagnetic particle-in-cell (EM-PIC) simulations of CST Particle Studio. It was found that the simulation results converged when the macroparticle weight was less than 106. A model calculating accumulated charge on the dielectric surface was proposed and validated against theoretical calculations. The dynamic evolution of multipactor in dielectric-loaded parallel-plate waveguide was analyzed, and predictions were validated against results from the existing model. Finally, the effect of surface charge fields and space charge effect on the multipactor mechanism was studied. The results showed that the multipactor could be suppressed when the ratio of the number of accumulated electrons on the dielectric surface to the saturation electron population was greater than 3.96.

Synthesis of dielectric-loaded waveguide filters as an inverse problem

ABSTRACT A design strategy is proposed for microwave devices built with dielectric-loaded waveguides having one- or two-dimensional discontinuity profiles. The problem is formulated as an inverse problem where the pre-defined scattering parameters are aimed to be the final response of the system. This goal is achieved by optimizing the dimensions of the filling materials. To increase the success of the optimization, the problem is reduced to the longitudinal and widthwise thickness determination of the unit cell, which constitutes the whole structure in a cascade form. To this aim, the frequency response of the unit cell is targeted and then that of the whole system, which is achieved by a two-level optimization procedure of the unit cell. The usefulness of the proposed design strategy is shown through numerical examples as well as the measurement results of two prototypes.

Enhancement of transmission line model to analyze the matching section of a dielectric-loaded accelerator with sharp discontinuities

In this paper, a compact and single-mode X-band dielectric-loaded matching section with constant tilt angle, blended edges, and two discontinuities at both ends is analyzed by the transmission line model. This matching section is designed as a high-power injection coupler to a dielectric-loaded accelerating structure (DLA). Although the transmission line model is a powerful tool for single-mode structures, because of radial inhomogeneity and lack of single value for characteristic impedance in dielectric-loaded structures, this method is not applicable in non-uniform dielectric-loaded structures. To solve this problem, it is shown that a dielectric-loaded waveguide (DLW) can be modeled by a dielectric-filled waveguide (DFW) with the same parameters of the phase constant, power flow, and dielectric loss. The characteristic impedance of a dielectric-filled waveguide can be determined by three structural parameters of the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric material and inner radius. These structural parameters can be found by solving a non-linear equation system made by equality of the parameters of the dielectric-loaded and dielectric-filled waveguides. To analyze the matching section, it is stratified to low thickness and uniform DLWs in the propagation direction and every segment is substituted by its equal DFW model. However, because of sharp variation in dielectric region at two ends of the flared section, solving the non-linear equation system is difficult at these points due to the lack of a proper initial point for the answer. Therefore, two virtual sections are added at the discontinuities to smoothen the variation of the dielectric region. Then, the total transmission matrix and scattering matrix parameters can be obtained without considering the added virtual sections. Moreover, the matching section is simulated by a full-wave electromagnetic software and the results of the scattering matrix parameters are compared with the ones of the proposed method. It is shown that there is a good agreement between the total behavior of the simulation and analytical results and the proposed method has acceptable accuracy.

Theory of wakefields excited by an off-axis drive bunch in a plasma–dielectric waveguide

A linear theory of wakefield excitation by a drive electron bunch in a plasma–dielectric accelerating structure has been constructed for the case of off-axis bunch injection. The structure under investigation is a round dielectric-loaded metal waveguide with a channel for charged particles, filled with homogeneous cold plasma. The developed theory was used to investigate the spatial distribution of the bunch-excited transverse wakefield components, which act on the drive electron bunch. The numerical simulations using the particle-in-cell method have confirmed the predictions of the linear theory in terms of transverse drive bunch dynamics. The numerical analysis has shown stable drive bunch transport through the plasma–dielectric accelerating structure compared with the corresponding dielectric-loaded structure.

Miniaturized Dual-Band Dual-Mode TM-Mode Dielectric Filter in Planar Configuration

This paper reports a new class of compact inline dual-band bandpass filters using TM-mode dielectric resonators in planar configuration. Thanks to the employment of the dielectric-loaded TM-mode waveguide configuration and the dual-mode TM₁₂₀ and TM₂₁₀ resonances, substantial size miniaturization and volume saving (&gt;70&#x0025;) can be obtained in comparison with conventional waveguide technology. Additionally, the planar topology of the presented concept offers highly desirable advantages for industry and mass production including the ease of manufacturing, assembly, and tuning. Furthermore, the resonating doublets and the nonresonating TM₁₁₀ mode are effectively utilized to introduce and control both inter-band and outer-band transmission zeros, advantageously increasing the isolation between the two passbands and enhancing the outer-band rejection regions. The general design procedure of the proposed filter is discussed in detail. A three-pole C-band dual-band dual-mode TM-mode dielectric filter is designed, implemented, and measured to validate the proposed configuration.

Modeling the saturation of the multipactor effect in a dielectric-loaded parallel-plate waveguide

The aim of this paper is to establish a numerical simulation model for the multipactor effect in a partially dielectric-loaded parallel-plate waveguide, with a focus on the investigation of multipactor saturation mechanisms for different dielectric materials with different secondary emission yield (SEY) properties. An electrostatic method involving the radio-frequency fields, space charge fields, and the dynamics of charge accumulation on the dielectric surface and solutions for electrostatic fields are proposed. The evolution of the electron number, accumulated charge, and secondary electron multiplication rate for different input voltages and SEY properties of the dielectric materials are studied using numerical calculations. The results show that two physical multipactor phenomena occur in a dielectric-loaded parallel-plate waveguide: a self-sustaining phenomenon, which means that the electron population reaches a saturation level, and a self-extinguishing phenomenon. The latter can be divided into two cases: in one, the number of electrons undergoes a process of multiplication, saturation, and reduction, and in the other, the number of electrons disappears after their population reaches a maximum. Furthermore, a multipactor susceptibility diagram for SEY curves of different dielectric materials is constructed. The results show that the multipactor effect is suppressed when the maximum of the SEY curve is less than 1.3.

High-directionality spin-selective routing of photons in plasmonic nanocircuits

Efficient on-chip manipulation of photon spin is of crucial importance in developing future integrated nanophotonics as is electron spin in spintronics. The unidirectionality induced by the interaction between spin and orbital angular momenta suffers low efficiency in classical macroscopic optics, while it can be highly enhanced on subwavelength scales with suitable architectures. Here we propose and demonstrate a spin-sorting achiral split-ring coupler to unidirectionally excite dielectric-loaded plasmonic modes in two independent waveguides. We found experimentally that the impinging light with different spin can be selectively directed into one of two branching plasmonic waveguides with a directionality contrast up to 15.1 dB. A circular-helicity-independent compact beam splitter is also realized demonstrating great potential in designing complex interconnect nanocircuits. The illustrated approach is believed to open new avenues for developing advanced optical functionalities with a flexible degree of freedom in manipulation of on-chip chirality within chiral optics.

Fast electromagnetic analysis of an X-band power injection coupler of dielectric-loaded accelerator using a novel transmission line model

In this paper, a novel transmission line model of a dielectric-loaded waveguide is introduced and employed to analyze a non-uniform dielectric-loaded coupler. In this method, a dielectric-loaded waveguide is equaled by a fully dielectric-filled waveguide with the same phase constant, power flow, and dissipated powers in the dielectric part and wall of the waveguide. This leads to a set of four non-linear equations. Four unknown variables of the filled-waveguide including the real and imaginary parts of dielectric permittivity, inner radius, and conductivity of the metal body of the waveguide can be obtained by solving the equation system. To investigate the validity of the new model, an X-band tapered dielectric-loaded coupler is considered and its scattering matrix parameters are obtained by a full-wave electromagnetic (EM) software. By segmentation of the coupler structure into a large number of uniform dielectric-loaded tubes and using the proposed transmission line model for every section, the whole structure can be considered as a series of transmission lines. Then, by calculating the total transmission matrix of the coupler, the scattering matrix parameters are achieved. It is shown that there is an acceptable agreement between the total behavior of the analytical and simulation results. Moreover, the fast proposed method with a combination of optimization algorithms can provide an initial point of design for further more accurate full-wave optimizations to reduce the total time of the optimization process.

Dielectric-Loaded Waveguides as Advanced Platforms for Diagnostics and Application of Transparent Thin Films

An alternative approach to classical surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy is dielectric-loaded waveguide (DLWG) spectroscopy, widely used in the past decades to investigate bio-interaction kinetics. Despite their wide application, a successful and clear approach to use the DLWGs for the one-step simultaneous determination of both the thickness and refractive index of organic thin films is absent in the literature. We propose here, for the first time, an experimental protocol based on the multimodal nature of DLWGs to be followed in order to evaluate the optical constants and thickness of transparent thin films with a unique measurement. The proposed method is general and can be applied to every class of transparent organic materials, with a resolution and accuracy which depend on the nature of the external medium (gaseous or liquid), the geometrical characteristics of the DLWG, and the values of both the thickness and dielectric constant of the thin film. From the experimental point of view, the method is demonstrated in a nitrogen environment with an accuracy of about 3%, for the special case of electroluminescent thin films of Eu3+β-diketonate complexes, with an average thickness of about 20 nm. The high value of the refractive index measured for the thin film with the Eu(btfa)3(t-bpete) complex was confirmed by the use of a spectroscopic model based on the Judd-Ofelt theory, in which the magnetic dipole transition 5D0 → 7F1 (Eu3+) for similar films containing Eu3+ complexes is taken as a reference. The DLWGs are finally applied to control the refractive index changes of the organic thin films under UVA irradiation, with potential applications in dosimetry and monitoring light-induced transformation in organic thin films.