Additively manufactured lightweight coaxial to circular waveguide transition for linearly polarized microwave systems
Abstract Waveguides and transitions provide efficient, low-loss microwave transmission across a target frequency band for space communications and radar. However, traditional waveguide transitions suffer from impedance mismatch, higher-order mode excitation, field distortion, and complex-geometry fa...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11467-z |
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| author | Hasan Muhammad Fahad He Huang Ray Tahir Mushtaq Khalid A. Al-Ghamdi |
| author_facet | Hasan Muhammad Fahad He Huang Ray Tahir Mushtaq Khalid A. Al-Ghamdi |
| author_sort | Hasan Muhammad Fahad |
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| description | Abstract Waveguides and transitions provide efficient, low-loss microwave transmission across a target frequency band for space communications and radar. However, traditional waveguide transitions suffer from impedance mismatch, higher-order mode excitation, field distortion, and complex-geometry fabrication constraints. This study addresses these issues by developing a Ku-band low-cost coaxial-to-circular waveguide transition prototype, fabricated by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), followed by electroless-metallization. We present a novel coaxial-to-rectangular-to-elliptical-to-circular transition topology with an integrated septum for a split-waveguide structure. The entirely conductive PLA filament-based 3D-printed structure with subsequent silver-epoxy metallization features an E-plane cut halves, employing optimized 3D-printing and geometric design parameters. The hybrid design simplifies manufacturing, streamlines metallization, and enhances RF performance through suppressing higher-order modes by 25 dB, improving return loss to better than − 15 dB, reducing attenuation to as low as 0.145dB/m, minimizing electromagnetic discontinuities, and increasing polarization isolation by 30dB for linearly-polarized applications while ensuring smooth field propagation. The lightweight, cost-effective design enables early testing and highlights future implementation with space-grade materials like PEEK/Ultem® that could enable rugged, low-mass alternatives to conventional waveguides. These findings empower a sustainable approach to custom small-scale LEO small-satellite RF systems by using additive manufacturing to reduce costs, material waste, conserve resources, and lower launch mass and energy requirements. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1b3aaab41f4743799ff729ff3b8c6318 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| spelling | doaj-art-1b3aaab41f4743799ff729ff3b8c63182025-08-20T03:05:26ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111810.1038/s41598-025-11467-zAdditively manufactured lightweight coaxial to circular waveguide transition for linearly polarized microwave systemsHasan Muhammad Fahad0He Huang1Ray Tahir Mushtaq2Khalid A. Al-Ghamdi3School of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical UniversitySchool of Astronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical UniversityBio-Additive Manufacturing University-Enterprise Joint Research Center of Shaanxi Province, Department of Industry Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical UniversityDepartment of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, King Abdulaziz UniversityAbstract Waveguides and transitions provide efficient, low-loss microwave transmission across a target frequency band for space communications and radar. However, traditional waveguide transitions suffer from impedance mismatch, higher-order mode excitation, field distortion, and complex-geometry fabrication constraints. This study addresses these issues by developing a Ku-band low-cost coaxial-to-circular waveguide transition prototype, fabricated by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), followed by electroless-metallization. We present a novel coaxial-to-rectangular-to-elliptical-to-circular transition topology with an integrated septum for a split-waveguide structure. The entirely conductive PLA filament-based 3D-printed structure with subsequent silver-epoxy metallization features an E-plane cut halves, employing optimized 3D-printing and geometric design parameters. The hybrid design simplifies manufacturing, streamlines metallization, and enhances RF performance through suppressing higher-order modes by 25 dB, improving return loss to better than − 15 dB, reducing attenuation to as low as 0.145dB/m, minimizing electromagnetic discontinuities, and increasing polarization isolation by 30dB for linearly-polarized applications while ensuring smooth field propagation. The lightweight, cost-effective design enables early testing and highlights future implementation with space-grade materials like PEEK/Ultem® that could enable rugged, low-mass alternatives to conventional waveguides. These findings empower a sustainable approach to custom small-scale LEO small-satellite RF systems by using additive manufacturing to reduce costs, material waste, conserve resources, and lower launch mass and energy requirements.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11467-zAdditive manufacturing3D printingCoaxial-to-circular waveguideConductive PLASatellite communicationsMicrowave transitions and RF components |
| spellingShingle | Hasan Muhammad Fahad He Huang Ray Tahir Mushtaq Khalid A. Al-Ghamdi Additively manufactured lightweight coaxial to circular waveguide transition for linearly polarized microwave systems Scientific Reports Additive manufacturing 3D printing Coaxial-to-circular waveguide Conductive PLA Satellite communications Microwave transitions and RF components |
| title | Additively manufactured lightweight coaxial to circular waveguide transition for linearly polarized microwave systems |
| title_full | Additively manufactured lightweight coaxial to circular waveguide transition for linearly polarized microwave systems |
| title_fullStr | Additively manufactured lightweight coaxial to circular waveguide transition for linearly polarized microwave systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Additively manufactured lightweight coaxial to circular waveguide transition for linearly polarized microwave systems |
| title_short | Additively manufactured lightweight coaxial to circular waveguide transition for linearly polarized microwave systems |
| title_sort | additively manufactured lightweight coaxial to circular waveguide transition for linearly polarized microwave systems |
| topic | Additive manufacturing 3D printing Coaxial-to-circular waveguide Conductive PLA Satellite communications Microwave transitions and RF components |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11467-z |
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