W-Band Waveguide Impedance Tuner Utilizing Dielectric-Based Backshorts

We present the design, simulations, fabrication, and measurements of a W-band waveguide impedance tuner. The design consists of a WR-10 waveguide with two E-plane arms for tunable dielectric-based backshorts. The impedance tuner is fabricated using a simple split-block technique and is easily scalable to submillimeter wavelengths. Our design shows an excellent input impedance range, tuning accuracy, repeatability, and a high attainable maximum reflection coefficient over the frequency band of 75-110 GHz. Our tuner applies dielectric-based backshorts, which provide a tuning accuracy better than that of other waveguide backshorts.