Balanced phase septum polarizer

Claim 1

A septum polarizer for converting a linearly polarized microwave signal to a circularly polarized signal and vice versa, said septum polarizer comprising: a first waveguide, said first waveguide being capable of supporting propagation of a circularly polarized microwave signal; a septum dividing said first waveguide into second and third waveguides each of which is capable of supporting propagation of a linearly polarized transverse electric field microwave signal, said septum extending from one side to the opposite side of said first waveguide, said septum having an edge that begins at a first point, said first point being located on said one side of said first waveguide, said septum edge terminating at a second point, said second point being located on said opposite side of said first waveguide, said first and second points being spaced from one another relative to the direction of propagation of microwave signals in said waveguides, and said septum edge having at least one step-shaped portion and at least one concave curved portion, said septum edge causing an inflection point to be produced in the phase angle vs. frequency function of the orthogonal electric field components of the circularly polarized microwave signal whose propagation is capable of being supported by said first waveguide.