Patent ID: 6762661
Filing Date: 2004-07-13
Classification: H01Q

Abstract:
A shutter switch for an electromagnetic wave beam, comprising:a plurality of waveguides adapted to receive at least part of an electromagnetic beam, said waveguides being adjacent to one another with their longitudinal axes aligned with the propagation of said beam, said waveguides switchable to either transmit or block transmission of their respective portions of said beam, wherein each of said waveguides comprises: four wall inside surfaces comprising two opposing sidewalls and a top and bottom wall; respective high impedance wall structures on at least two opposing walls, said wall structures presenting a high surface impedance to E fields transverse to the waveguide axis and tangential to the said opposing wall structure, and a low impedance to E fields parallel to the waveguide axis; and shorting arrangements on each said wall structures to short circuit their high impedances; each of said waveguides having internal dimensions to cut-off the transmission of its respective portion of said beam when its high impedance wall structure is short circuited to a low impedance state.