High-frequency electrical connector

An electrical interconnection system comprising:

• a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector, the first and second electrical connectors being configured to be mated with each other along a mating direction, the first electrical connector comprising:
• a plurality of conductive elements disposed in a column, each of the plurality of conductive elements comprising a mating contact portion, a contact tail, and an intermediate portion between the mating contact portion and the contact tail, wherein:
• the plurality of conductive elements comprise first conductive elements comprising intermediate portions of a first width and second conductive elements comprising intermediate portions of a second width, less than the first width;
• for each of the first conductive elements:
• a first mating contact portion of a first conductive element of the plurality of conductive elements comprises a first beam and a second beam;
• the first beam comprises a first contact region adapted to make electrical contact with a surface of the second electrical connector at a first point of contact;
• the second beam comprises a second contact region adapted to make electrical contact with the surface of the second electrical connector at a second point of contact, wherein the first point of contact and the second point of contact are offset relative to each other with respect to the mating direction;
• the first beam is adapted to exert a first force normal to a plane defined by the surface of the second electrical connector when the first electrical connector and the second electrical connectors are mated;
• the second beam is adapted to exert a second force normal to the plane when the first electrical connector and the second electrical connectors are mated, the first force being greater than the second force;
• and
• the first point of contact is ahead of the second point of contact with respect to the mating direction.

A method for mating a first electrical connector with a second electrical connector along a mating direction, the first electrical connector comprising a first plurality of conductive elements, each of the first plurality of conductive elements comprising a mating contact portion, a contact tail, and an intermediate portion between the mating contact portion and the contact tail, a first mating contact portion of a first conductive element of the first plurality of conductive elements comprising a first beam and a second beam, and the second electrical connector comprising a second plurality of conductive elements, the method comprising:

• placing the first plurality of conductive elements in electrical contact with respective conductive elements of the second plurality of conductive elements, at least in part by:
• placing the first beam in electrical contact with a second conductive element of the second plurality of conductive elements at a first point of contact;
• placing the second beam in electrical contact with the second conductive element of the second plurality of conductive elements at a second point of contact, wherein the first point of contact and the second point of contact are offset relative to each other with respect to the mating direction, wherein the first point of contact is ahead of the second point of contact with respect to the mating direction;
• causing the first beam to exert a first force normal to a plane defined by a surface of the second electrical connector;
• and
• causing the second beam to exert a second force normal to the plane, wherein the first force is greater than the second force.