Guidance of 100-GHz Beams by Cylindrical Mirrors

Microwave beams can be kept confined by sequences of pairs of cylindrical mirrors, each pair acting as a lens. At 100 GHz, with 1.2-m x 1.2-m focusers spaced 80 m apart, a loss of the order of 2 dB/km has been measured in clear weather. The use of this beam-guiding arrangement, called a "Hertzian cable," for distribution of information in cities is discussed.