Mushroom Groove Waveguide for Cost-Effective Low-Loss Power Distribution Networks

This work introduces and evaluates the novel mushroom groove waveguide (MGW) as a cost-effective, low-loss alternative to conventional gap waveguides (GWs). The MGW and its half-mode variant (HM-MGW) are benchmarked against established gap waveguide technologies, including the conventional GGW and its half-mode variant (HM-GGW), both using traditional metallic pins to emulate a perfect magnetic conductor (PMC). This work assesses the performance of an eventual power distribution network (PDN) across four different realizations, focusing on insertion loss, ease of fabrication, and cost-effectiveness. Experimental measurements corroborate simulation results, offering critical insights for the practical implementation of MGW-based PDNs for millimeter-waveband applications.