Microwave resonator

Abstract

A microwave resonator comprising a hollow tube comprising a plurality of electrically conductive wall faces which together define a tube wall defining a tube bore, the tube extending along a length axis from a first end to a second end; the tube wall having an N fold rotational symmetry about the length axis where 2<N<10; a first electrically conductive covering plate covering the first end of the tube; a second electrically conductive covering plate covering the second end of the tube; a dielectric puck comprising first and second end faces and a side wall extending therebetween, the puck being dimensioned such that when in the tube bore its dominant resonant mode is a doubly degenerate mode; the puck being arranged in the tube bore spaced apart from the covering plates with its end faces normal to the length axis and centered on the length axis; the puck being spaced apart from the tube wall by a plurality N of electrically conductive spacer blocks, the spacer blocks being spaced equally around the length axis and spaced apart from the covering plates; and, a symmetry breaking structure adapted to modify the coupling between the two degenerate modes and also their relative frequencies.