3D printing is a disruptive technology, offering the inherent capabilities for creating truly
arbitrary 3D structures, with low manufacturing costs associated with low volume production
runs. This paper provides an overv
iew of the current progress in 3D printing of metal
-
pipe
rectangular waveguide (MPRWG) components, from 10 GHz to 1 THz, at Imperial College London.
First, measurements performed at the UK National Physical Laboratory demonstrate that 3D
printed MPRWG perf
ormance is comparable to standard commercial waveguides at X
-
band and
W
-
band. Then, a fully 3D printed X
-
band dielectric flap tuneable phase shifter and W
-
band 6th
-
order inductive iris bandpass filter are demonstrated experimentally. Finally, an optically
-
controlled 500 GHz IQ vector modulator will also be presented; packaged laser diodes and high
resistivity silicon implants are integrated within a hybrid 3D printed split
-
block module,
representing a paradigm shift in additive manufacturing for realizing t
uneable THz applications.