Hybrid horn waveguide antenna

A method comprising:

• forming an upper structure of a waveguide antenna configured to guide electromagnetic energy through a channel defining an energy path for the electromagnetic energy, the upper structure comprising:
• an upper portion of a first waveguide section including an upper portion of a first port and an upper portion of a first channel section;
• an upper portion of a second waveguide section including an upper portion of a second channel section and a second port that is parallel to a plane that is orthogonal to a plane that is parallel to the first port;
• an antenna section having an inverted trapezoidal prism shape, the antenna section comprising:
• a first aperture configured to align with the second port of the second waveguide section, the first aperture of the antenna section having a first width along a y-axis and a first length along an x-axis such that the first length along the x-axis is greater than the first width along the y-axis;
• a first step feature extending from a first side of the first aperture nearest to the first port along the x-axis towards the first port;
• a second step feature extending from a second side of the first aperture, opposite the first side, along the x-axis away from the first port;
• a first wall extending along a z-axis from an edge of the first step feature that is opposite the first side of the first aperture;
• a second wall extending along the z-axis from an edge of the second step feature that is opposite the second side of the first aperture;
• a third wall extending along the y-axis and the z-axis from a third side of the first aperture, the y-axis being orthogonal to the x-axis and the z-axis, the third side being orthogonal to the first side and the second side, the third wall flaring away from the third side;
• a fourth wall extending along the y-axis and the z-axis from a fourth side of the first aperture, opposite the third side, the fourth wall flaring away from the fourth side;
• and
• a second aperture opposite the first aperture and defined by edges of the first wall, the second wall, the third wall, and the fourth wall, the second aperture having a second width along the y-axis greater than the first width and a second length along the x-axis equal to the first length such that the waveguide antenna is a hybrid horn waveguide antenna with the first length and the second length along the x-axis being greater than the first width along the y-axis and the second width along the y-axis, respectively and step features only along the x-axis among the x-axis and the y-axis;
• forming a lower structure of the waveguide antenna, the lower structure comprising:
• a lower portion of the first waveguide section including a lower portion of the first port and a lower portion of the first channel section;
• and
• a lower portion of the second waveguide section including a lower portion of the second channel section;
• and
• mating the upper structure to the lower structure.

A system comprising:

• a monolithic microwave integrated circuit;
• and
• a waveguide antenna electrically coupled to the monolithic microwave integrated circuit and configured to guide electromagnetic energy through a channel defining an energy path for the electromagnetic energy, the waveguide antenna comprising:
• a first waveguide section configured to propagate the energy path along an x-axis, the first waveguide section comprising:
• a first port centered around the x-axis at which the electromagnetic energy enters or exits the waveguide antenna;
• and
• a first channel portion extending longitudinally along the x-axis;
• a second waveguide section configured to propagate the energy path from the x-axis to a z-axis, the z-axis being orthogonal to the x-axis, the second waveguide section comprising:
• a second channel portion extending longitudinally along the z-axis;
• and
• a second port centered around the z-axis;
• and
• an antenna section having an inverted trapezoidal prism shape and configured to radiate or receive the electromagnetic energy, the antenna section comprising:
• a first aperture configured to align with the second port of the second waveguide section, the first aperture of the antenna section having a first width along a y-axis and a first length along the x-axis such that the first length along the x-axis is greater than the first width along the y-axis;
• a first step feature extending from a first side of the first aperture nearest to the first port along the x-axis towards the first port;
• a second step feature extending from a second side of the first aperture, opposite the first side, along the x-axis away from the first port;
• a first wall extending along the z-axis from an edge of the first step feature that is opposite the first side of the first aperture;
• a second wall extending along the z-axis from an edge of the second step feature that is opposite the second side of the first aperture;
• a third wall extending along the y-axis and the z-axis from a third side of the first aperture, the y-axis being orthogonal to the x-axis and the z-axis, the third side being orthogonal to the first side and the second side, the third wall flaring away from the third side;
• a fourth wall extending along the y-axis and the z-axis from a fourth side of the first aperture, opposite the third side, the fourth wall flaring away from the fourth side;
• and
• a second aperture opposite the first aperture and defined by edges of the first wall, the second wall, the third wall, and the fourth wall, the second aperture having a second width along the y-axis greater than the first width and a second length along the x-axis equal to the first length such that the waveguide antenna is a hybrid horn waveguide antenna with the first length and the second length along the x-axis being greater than the first width along the y-axis and the second width along the y-axis, respectively and step features only along the x-axis among the x-axis and the y-axis.