Temperature compensated high power bandpass filter

Abstract

A bandpass filter makes use of at least one waveguide cavity that is thermally compensated to minimize drift of a resonant frequency of the cavity with thermal expansion of cavity components. The compensation relies on deformation of the shape of at least one cavity surface in response to thermally-induced dimensional changes of the cavity. A control rod is used to limit the movement of a point on the deformed surface, while the rest of the surface moves with the thermal expansion. The control rod is made of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is significantly different than that of other filter components. The rod may also be arranged to span more thermally expandable material than defines the filter such that, as the filter expands, the point of deflection is moved toward the interior of the filter beyond its original position. A similar effect may be accomplished by connecting the control rod to an end deflecting rod that does the actual limiting of the movement of the deflection point. If the end deflecting rod has a coefficient of thermal expansion that is higher than that of the control rod, the end deflecting rod will expand with temperature relative to the end of the control rod, forcing the deflection point inward.