Planar Waveguide Hybrids for Very High Power RF

Two basic designs have been developed for waveguide hybrids, or 3-dB couplers, capable of handling hundreds of megawatts at X-band. Coupling is provided by one or two connecting waveguides with h-plane junctions and matching elements. In the former case, the connecting waveguide supports two modes. Small apertures and field-enhancing ebends are avoided to reduce the risk of rf breakdown. The h-plane symmetry also allows the use of over-moded rectangular waveguide in which the height has been increased to reduce field amplitudes without affecting the scattering matrix. The theory and designs are presented, along with the results of prototype tests of functionality and power-handling capability. Such a device is integral to the rf pulse compression or power distribution system [2] of the Next Linear Collider (NLC) [1] for combining, splitting, and directing power. This work was motivated by the observation of rf breakdown at power levels above 200 MW in conventional and modified magic-T's. presented at the 1999 IEEE Particle Accelerator Conference New York, New York, March 29-April 2, 1999 * Work supported by Department of Energy contract DE–AC03–76SF00515 and grant DE-FG03-93ER40695. # Also University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093. ‡ Also with the Communications and Electronics Department, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.