Apparatus for transforming nonorthogonal elliptically polarized waves into orthogonal linearly polarized waves

Claim 2

Polarization transformation apparatus for transforming first and second nonorthogonal elliptically polarized waves into first and second linearly polarized waves comprising: an input port into which said first and second elliptically polarized waves are coupled; an output port out of which said first and second linearly polarized waves are coupled; and waveguide means connecting said input and output ports, said waveguide means being adapted to apply a phase shift along at least one of two orthogonal directions to cancel the phase difference between the components of each of said first and second elliptically polarized waves lying therealong, said orthogonal directions being those for which the phase difference between the components of said first elliptically polarized wave lying therealong is equal to the phase difference between the components of said second elliptically polarized wave lying therealong.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 which includes, in addition, attenuation means coupled to said output port for orthogonalizing said first and second linearly polarized waves coupled therefrom.

Claim 4

Polarization transformation apparatus for transforming first and second nonorthogonal elliptically polarized waves into first and second linearly polarized waves comprising: an input port into which said first and second elliptically polarized waves are coupled; an output port out of which said first and second linearly polarized waves are coupled; and a first waveguide means connecting said input and output ports, said waveguide means being adapted to shift the phase of waves polarized in a first direction relative to waves polarized in a direction orthogonal to said first direction by an amount equal to the phase of the component of said first elliptically polarized wave in said orthogonal direction less the phase of the component of said first elliptically polarized wave in said first direction, said directions being those for which the phase difference between the components of said first elliptically polarized wave in said directions is equal to the phase difference between the components of said second elliptically polarized wave in said directions.

Claim 5

Polarization transformation apparatus for transforming first and second nonorthogonal elliptically polarized waves into first and second linearly polarized waves comprising: an input port into which said first and second elliptically polarized waves are coupled; an output port out of which said first and second linearly polarized waves are coupled; and a first waveguide means connecting said input and output ports, said waveguide means being adapted to shift the phase of waves polarized in a first direction relative to waves polarized in a direction orthogonal to said first direction by an amount equal to the phase of the component of said first elliptically polarized wave in said orthogonal direction less the phase of the component of said first elliptically polarized wave in said first direction, said directions being those for which the phase difference between the components of said first elliptically polarized wave in said directions is equal to the phase difference between the components of said second elliptically polarized wave in said directions.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 in which the major axis of said second elliptically polarized wave is rotated by an angle phi 1, measured in a clockwise sense, relative to the major axis of said first elliptically polarized wave.

Claim 7

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which said first direction is rotated by an angle phi 2, measured in a clockwise sense, relative to the major axis of said first wave, where phi 2 is given by

Claim 8

Apparatus in accordance with claim 5 in which the phase difference Delta phi between the components of said first wave in said direction is given as Delta phi tan 1 ((2A1)/(1-A12)(sin 2 phi 2)) where 0 < Delta phi < pi when A1 > 0 and - ( pi /2) < Delta phi < ( pi /2) when sin 2400 1 >

Claim 9

Apparatus in accordance with claim 3 which includes, in addition, a second waveguide means disposed to receive the two linearly polarized waves coupled form said output port, said second waveguide means being adapted to orthogonalize said two linearly polarized waves.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which said second waveguide means includes attenuation means for providing attenuation such that said two linearly polarized waves are caused to have an angle therebetween substantially equal to 90* .

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 in which said attenuation means is a resistance card.

Claim 12

Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 in which said attenuation means provides attenuation of magnitude tan ( phi 3/2) along a direction defined by the bisector of the angle phi 3, where phi 3 is the angle between the two linearly polarized waves when coupled from said output port and is less than 90*.

Claim 13

Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 in which said attenuation means provides attenuation of magnitude cot ( phi 3/2) along a direction defined by the normal to the bisector of the angle phi 3, where phi 3 is the angle between the two linearly polarized waves when coupled from said output port and is greater than 90* but less than 180* .

Claim 14

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 which includes additional phase shift means for receiving said two orthogonal linearly polarized waves and applying a 90* phase shift along the bisector of the angle between said orthogonal waves.

Claim 15

Apparatus in accordance with claim 12 in which said phase shift means is a quarter wave plate.