Waveguide divider design based on null of electric field

Nowadays, the design of dividers is based on electromagnetic software that optimizes some geometric parameters to obtain the required performance. The choice of the geometry of the discontinuities contained in the divider and of the optimization initial point is quite critical to satisfy the divider requirements. In the last years, it is quite rare to find in the literature a theoretical approach helping the designers in the choice of the divider geometry. Helpful suggestion can derive by the analysis of the electric field in a trial divider that satisfies power division among the output ports in a thin band. In fact, the electric field null can be filled with metallic septa that ensure the same behavior at any frequency. The optimization of the septa position/form with numerical electromagnetic software permits to obtain divider with large bandwidth. A further analysis of the electric field null in the divider permits to add lateral metallic septa that further enlarge the transmission band. Finally, the design of an input matching network increases the transmitted power to the desired value.