Metal 3D-Printed 35–50-GHz Corrugated Horn for Cryogenic Operation

All-metal 3D printing fabrication technologies provide an attractive alternative for direct manufacturing of waveguide components due to fast and cost-effective prototyping and the possibility to fabricate geometries which cannot be fabricated with traditional machining techniques. In radio astronomy, waveguide components in radio receivers are operated at cryogenic temperatures and inside a cryostat under vacuum conditions. In this paper, we report on the design, fabrication by 3D printing and testing at room and cryogenic temperatures of a corrugated horn to be used in astronomical receivers operating in the 35–50-GHz band.