Evaluation of the TE₁₂ mode in circular waveguide for low-loss, high-power rf transmission

The use of TE₁₂ in circular waveguide with smooth walls was suggested for low-loss transport of rf signals in multimoded systems [S. G. Tantawi et al., in Advanced Accelerator Concepts: Eighth Workshop, edited by Wes Lawson, AIP Conf. Proc. No. 472 (AIP, New York, 1999), pp. 967–974]. Such systems use the same waveguide to transport different signals over different modes. In this report we detail a series of experiments designed to measure the characteristics of this mode. We also describe the different techniques used to generate it and receive it. The experiments were done at X band around a frequency of 11.424 GHz, the frequency of choice for future linear colliders at X band [The NLC Design Group, Report No. LBNL-PUB-5424, SLAC Report No. 474, Report No. UCRL-ID 124161, 1996; The JLC Design Group, KEK-REPORT-97-1, 1997]. The transportation medium is 55 m of highly overmoded circular waveguide. The design of the joining flanges is also presented.