Universal single-layer waveguide power divider for slot array antenna applications

A novel single-layer power divider realised in rectangular waveguide is proposed and demonstrated. It is composed of three parts: two interdigital sub-sections and an in-phase T-junction power divider. The topology can be used to design feed network having arbitrary specifications on the amplitude and phase distribution. An iterative technique is described to analyse the structure, where the divider is split into basic blocks. Large networks are then easily designed because the whole structure does not need to be simulated. Furthermore, the convergence is fast and five iterations are sufficient to obtain a variation below 0.1%. Experimental results are also presented. The 1:4 sub-section provides equal output power with 0.5 dB of insertion loss. The phase-shift between output ports is close to the specifications of -150 degrees at 30 GHz with an error of less than 2 degrees.