Orthomode Transducer Design for Millimeter-Wave Applications
Summary
Orthomode transducers (OMTs) are critical components in millimetre-wave systems for separating or combining two orthogonal polarisations within a single waveguide feed. Basic junction types include septum, Boifot and turnstile geometries, each offering trade-offs between bandwidth, isolation and fabrication complexity. At millimetre frequencies, tight tolerances, surface roughness and precise impedance matching become paramount, driving the adoption of advanced micromachining, additive manufacturing and CNC-layered assembly. Key performance metrics—return loss, insertion loss, isolation and cross-polarisation discrimination—are optimised through iris tuning, stepped stubs and multi-section transformers. Current design trends focus on broad fractional bandwidths, multi-polarisation capability and integration with compact horn or array antennas for applications in satellite communications, 5G networks, automotive radar and radio astronomy.
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Orthomode Transducer Design for Millimeter-Wave Applications publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in orthomode transducer design for millimeter-wave applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Orthomode Transducer (OMT): Device for separating or combining two orthogonal polarisations in a single waveguide feed.
Return loss: Metric of reflected power due to impedance mismatch, expressed in decibels.
Insertion loss: Power loss experienced by a signal passing through a device, expressed in decibels.
Isolation: Degree of signal separation between orthogonal output ports, ensuring minimal cross-coupling.
Cross-polarisation discrimination (XPD): Ratio of co-polar to cross-polar power, indicating purity of polarisation separation.
Boifot junction: Four-arm waveguide junction that splits or combines orthogonal modes with broad bandwidth.
Turnstile junction: Arrangement of four waveguide arms at right angles used to combine or separate two linear polarisations.
Waveguide bands: Standardised frequency ranges, e.g. Ka-band (26.5–40 GHz), E-band (60–90 GHz), W-band (75–110 GHz).
References
- Broadband, High Efficiency OMT in E-Band. IEEE Access (2022).
- A Whole W-Band Multi-Polarization Horn Antenna Based on Boifot-Type OMT. Micromachines (2024).
- A Dual-Polarized Horn Antenna Covering Full Ka-Band Using Turnstile OMT. Frontiers in Physics (2022).
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