Patent ID: 7501909

Claim:
A polarization modulator device for modulating a polarization of an electromagnetic wave comprising: a corrugated metallic waveguide having an interior cylindrical opening defined therein and situated along a longitudinal axis of said waveguide, said waveguide including a plurality of corrugations, each corrugation having a tooth and a slot, said corrugated metallic waveguide also having a first waveguide section and a second waveguide section, said waveguide sections separated by a dielectric break, said dielectric break defined therein and situated substantially collinearly with said longitudinal axis of said waveguide in substantially a center of said waveguide; a central structure situated along said longitudinal axis of said waveguide, said central structure including a cylinder having a permeability greater than 1, and two dielectric cones, said cylinder having two substantially circular end faces situated in perpendicular orientation to a longitudinal axis of said cylinder, each of said dielectric cones having a base mechanically coupled to an end face of said cylinder and a cone axis situated substantially collinearly with said longitudinal axis of said cylinder, said central structure supported substantially in said center of said interior cylindrical opening of said waveguide, said cylinder substantially situated within said dielectric break of said waveguide; and a magnetic field source, said magnetic field source configured to permit a controllable magnetic field in said cylinder, wherein said magnetic field modulates a polarization of the electromagnetic wave by an angle related to a strength of the magnetic field.