A Folded Contactless Waveguide Flange for Low Passive-Intermodulation Applications

Contact nonlinearity is one of the primary sources of passive intermodulation (PIM). Common methods to eliminate the contact nonlinearity are focused on improving the electrical contact. In this letter, the contactless waveguide flange (CWF) based on gap waveguide technology is first applied to solve the PIM problem caused by waveguide connection. A compact folded CWF is proposed for low-frequency applications. The artificial magnetic conductor plate, in the form of a bed of nails, is arranged surrounding the outer surface of the male flange, whereas a waveguide with broader hollow end serves as the female flange. The size of the proposed contactless flange is significantly reduced compared to its planer counterpart. An S-band prototype is designed, manufactured, and measured. Compared to traditional waveguide flange, the measured PIM level achieves a maximum improvement of 30 dB, which is almost unaffected by surface plating materials and connection pressure.