Abstract
In this paper we report on the design and validation process for the profiled corrugated horn antennas, which feed the bolometer array of a cosmology experiment known as QUaD located at the South Pole. This is a cosmic background radiation polarization project, which demands precise knowledge and control of the optical coupling to the signal in order to map the feeble E- and B-polarization mode structure. The system will operate in two millimeter wavelength bands at 100 and 150 GHz. The imaging horn array collects the incoming signal via on-axis front-end optics and a Cassegrain telescope, with a cold stop in front of the array to terminate side-lobe structure at an edge taper of −20dB. The corrugated horn design process was undertaken using in-house analytical software tools, based on modal scattering, specially developed for millimeter -wave profiled horn antennas. An important part of the instrument development was the validation of the horn design, in particular to verify low edge taper levels and the required well-defined band edges. Suitable feed horn designs were measured and were found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions.
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Murphy, J., Gleeson, E., Cahill, G. et al. Millimeter-Wave Profiled Corrugated Horns for the Quad Cosmic Background Polarization Experiment. Int J Infrared Milli Waves 26, 505–523 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-005-4069-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-005-4069-7