Perfect Splitting in Rectangular Waveguide Junctions for Analogue Computing

Abstract

It has been recently shown how computing operations such as high-speed switching, routing, and solving partial differential equations can be performed by exploiting perfect splitting of electromagnetic waves in networks of waveguides from microwaves to the optical regime. Here, we propose a technique to achieve perfect splitting of electromagnetic waves using junctions of rectangular waveguides. The structure consists of N air-filled rectangular waveguides interconnected at a junction. They are designed to have their cut-off frequency above the cut-off frequency of further N waveguides used as inputs. The proposed structure is studied theoretically using transmission line models demonstrating that perfect splitting can occur at frequencies below the cut-off frequency of the interconnected waveguides (evanescent coupling). Numerical results are implemented to validate the designs demonstrating a good agreement between them. As examples of computing operations, it is shown how the proposed structure can be used to compare the amplitude of two incident signals (comparison operation) and also for routing of information to different output ports by exploiting linear superposition of scattered waves excited at the junction of rectangular waveguides, opening new opportunities and possibilities for future exploration and exploitation of electromagnetic waves for high-speed computing.