HIGH POWER WAVEGUIDE CLUSTER CIRCULATOR

A waveguide circulator includes a waveguide junction made from a thermally conductive material and having three ports, and a ferrite cluster housed within the waveguide junction so as to be in communication with the ports. The ferrite cluster includes a plurality of ferrite segments extending from a central point of the ferrite cluster. Each ferrite segment is spaced apart from an adjacent ferrite segments by a gap. Thermal spacers made of a thermally conductive material are disposed in the gaps. Each thermal spacer is thermally coupled to the adjacent ferrite segments and the waveguide junction so as to conduct heat away from the adjacent ferrite segments to the waveguide junction. The ferrite cluster can also be used with other junction circulators including stripline junction circulators designed for high peak power applications.