Design of Microwave Pulse Compressors Using Small Form-Factor Waveguide Cavities

Abstract

A microwave pulse compressor consisting of an iris, a straight waveguide section and a T-junction can be used in order to convert a long pulse with lower power to a shorter pulse with higher power. Provided that the system is designed precisely, a significant compression gain can be achieved. The duration of the compressed pulse is proportional to the cavity length, thus imposing a constraint to the development of mobile systems. In this work we present the circuit/transmission-line based design methodology that we follow in order to fold the cavity (while retaining the same electrical length) by using Tjunction turns. As an example, we design a 1.3 GHz folded compressor and we compare its performance to the corresponding one of a straight-cavity compressor. 3D full-wave simulations with CST Studio Suite and experimental measurements with the developed compressor confirm the accuracy of the proposed design methodology.