[Table of Contents]

Plasma and Fusion Research

Volume 8, 1405163 (2013)

Regular Articles

Development of Full D-Band Corrugated Horn Antenna for ECRH System
Masatsugu SAKAGUCHI, Hiroshi IDEI1), Tetsuji SAITO and Takashi SHIGEMATSU
Furukawa C & B Co., Ltd., Yamato, Kanagawa 242-0018, Japan
1)
Research Institute for Applied Mechanics (RIAM), Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580, Japan
(Received 16 May 2012 / Accepted 20 September 2013 / Published 27 December 2013)

Abstract

The corrugated horn antenna is widely used for the evaluation of transmission lines in electron cyclotron resonant heating systems, but little is known about the intensity and phase of its radiation profile over a wide frequency range. This paper is concerned with the development of a full D-band (110 - 170 GHz) corrugated horn antenna. The antenna was designed based on electromagnetic simulation codes for the finite element method and the method of moment. To verify these numerical simulations, a low-power test system was established, and its dynamic power range was defined for the precise measurement of antenna radiation. The fabricated antenna was measured and analyzed with basic Gaussian optics for a number of frequencies throughout the D-band. The measured radiation profiles are Gaussian-like and agree well with the numerical simulations. The radiated intensity pattern is slightly elliptical in the lower frequency range, as unwanted higher-order modes arose at the corrugated mode conversion section and generated the elliptical radiation pattern. The evolutions of the antenna radiation do not correspond with those expected by basic Gaussian optics.

Keywords

corrugated horn antenna, finite element method, method of moment, basic Gaussian optics, radiation profile, mode conversion

DOI: 10.1585/pfr.8.1405163

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This paper may be cited as follows:

Masatsugu SAKAGUCHI, Hiroshi IDEI, Tetsuji SAITO and Takashi SHIGEMATSU, Plasma Fusion Res. 8, 1405163 (2013).