Frequency selective screen having sharp transition

Abstract

A frequency selective screen (18) is employed as a diplexer to separate each of one or more radio frequency signals into first and second bands of frequencies by allowing the first band of frequencies to pass therethrough and reflecting the second band of frequencies. The screen (18) includes an array of discrete, electrically conductive elements (32), preferably copper, formed on a substrate (33) such as a layer of polyimide. The conductive elements (32) possess a geometry which results in an equivalent electrical circuit (50) that exhibits parallel resonance, high impedance within the first band of frequencies and series resonance, low impedance within the second band of frequencies, thereby transmitting the signal in the first frequency band and reflecting the signal in the second frequency band. The screen (18) may include first and second portions (18a, 18b) in which the conductive elements (32) are respectively oriented along different axes to respectively separate horizonally and vertically polarized signals. The screen (18) may be employed in a satellite (10) to separate transmit and receive frequencies.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.