Modal Nonreciprocity and Circulator Based on Nonreciprocal Mode Conversion

In this article, we first discover and investigate the pattern diversity of electromagnetic fields within an antisymmetrically biased twin-ferrite-loaded substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) structure. A special scenario is identified in which two separate guided-wave channels can be created exclusively for each direction of wave propagation within the same ferrite-loaded SIW body. A detailed theoretical foundation is formulated and presented to develop the so-called "nonreciprocally dual-channelized waveguide (NDW)" in this article. Next, this NDW structure is used to devise and demonstrate a fully integrated fundamental nonreciprocal building element called "nonreciprocal mode-converting waveguide (NRMCW)," which manifests modal nonreciprocity. In other words, this ferrite waveguide interchangeably converts TE10 and TE20 modes within the SIW, only in one direction. A fundamental approach to design such a unidirectional mode-converting device is proposed through unsymmetrical perturbation loading inside an NDW. Furthermore, a class of four-port circulator is devised and demonstrated for the first time, in which the operation mechanism is based on the one-way mode conversion. The measurement results of the proposed circulator are in agreement with those of the simulation and mathematical models, thereby validating the theoretical foundation and the concept of "NRMCW."