Abstract:
A combiner for power combining electromagnetic energy is disclosed. At least two electromagnetic cavities are positioned having intercavity coupling among all cavities: each cavity is tangent to all other cavities and/or external transmission line connections are employed to enhance/provide intercavity coupling. Each cavity contains within it at least one power generating device. An input/output port is connected via a nonreciprocal device to an output load and an injecting oscillator which usually has a lower power level than that of the free-running combiner and a higher spectral purity. The cavities are intentionally tuned to at least two different frequencies. For the two cavity and three cavity embodiments, a greater bandwidth is obtained compared with prior art combiners where the cavities are tuned to the same frequency. The power loss is slight. Derived formulas, based upon the injection locking ratio and the mutual injection locking ratio between cavities, are given for the maximum frequency separation between resonant frequencies of the cavities subject to the free-running single frequency condition, and for the maximum injection locking bandwidth of the frequency offset multiple cavity power combiner.