Waveguide Market Size Worth $2.14 Billion By 2030

December 2022 | Report Format: Electronic (PDF)

Waveguide Market Growth & Trends

The global waveguide market size is expected to reach USD 2.14 billion by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The market is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 5.8% from 2022 to 2030.

A waveguide is a structure that guides electromagnetic, radio, or sound waves with the least amount of energy loss, restricting energy transmission. These are used when a collection of devices are linked together to send signals over great distances. Radar installations, broadcasting, and microwave communications all use this electromagnetic feed line. Waveguides are frequently utilized in optical interferometers, non-linear devices, photonic integrated circuits, and optical communication.

The waveguide component segment has been further segmented into adapters, couplers, loads & filters, isolators & circulators, phase shifters, power combiners, pressure windows, and others. Among these, the phase shifters segment dominated the overall market, valued at USD 291.2 million and growing at a CAGR of 5.6%. These are 2-port waveguide modules that change the phase of an output signal in reply to an external signal.

They are made of silver, copper, bronze, brass, or aluminum waveguides and have elliptical, circular, or rectangular cross-sections. Digital phase shifters use a digital signal that consists of two discrete stages. On the other hand, analog phase shifters utilize an analog signal, mostly voltage, to change a signal’s output phase. Normally, RF waveguide phase shifters can alter the phase of an input signal from a minimum of 0° to a maximum of 360°. Variable devices use a variable control signal and are operated mainly in digital products.

The waveguide type segment has been further segmented into rectangular waveguide, circular waveguide, single ridged waveguide, double ridged waveguide, and elliptical waveguide. Among these, the rectangular waveguide segment dominated the overall market, valued at USD 363.7 million and growing at a CAGR of 6.1%. This type of waveguide is a rectangular cross-section with a hollow metal tube. The conducting walls of the rectangular waveguide limit the electromagnetic field, thereby guiding the electromagnetic wave. Rectangular waveguides are used in almost all microwave applications due to their small size.

The waveguide end-user segment has been further segmented into aerospace & defense, medical, industrial, and others. Among these, the others segment dominated the market, accounting for USD 769.7 million in 2021, and it is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period. Waveguides are commonly used for communication purposes in spacecraft subsystems, and numerous satellite communication payloads employ Waveguide technology. Due to the rising demand for confined frequency spectrums, the industry is moving toward higher-frequency waveguide systems.

Specialized RF design and innovative, disruptive production techniques are required to manufacture these systems. For instance, in August 2022, U.S. military researchers chose Teledyne Technologies Inc. to develop integration and fabrication technologies for high-performance, compact RF and microwave electronics. This aimed to enable sensing and communication systems at the G-band frequency range between 110 GHz and 300 GHz for telecommunication, remote security sensing, and radio astronomy applications.

The key vendors in the waveguide industry include Penn Engineering Components Inc.; Jupiter Microwave Components Inc.; Quantic Electronics; Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions; Ducommun Incorporated; Smith’s Interconnect; DigiLens, Inc.; Global Invacom; and Flann Microwave Ltd. These companies focus on developing application-specific waveguide solutions for aerospace & defense, healthcare, industrial, telecommunication, and automotive markets.

The development of radar technology, the rising demand for microwave devices in electronic warfare systems, the increasing satellite launches, and space exploration missions are encouraging waveguide component manufacturers to enter the market and acquire a considerable market share. In December 2022, Fairview Microwave, one of the significant suppliers of microwave, RF, and millimeter-wave devices, launched a series of waveguide frequency multipliers. The multipliers are designed to meet 5G, mobile, satellite communications, test and measurement, R&D, radar systems, and Earth observation applications.

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Waveguide Market Report Highlights

Numerous studies have been conducted on technologies like quantum radars and how they can be used for surveillance. R&D of waveguide components with improved performance protection and capabilities against sophisticated countermeasures are anticipated to be stimulated by the development of advanced radar systems
In radar, a waveguide transfers RF energy to and fro the antenna, where the impedance must be matched for effective power transmission. Improvements in radar technologies, which include digital components and software-defined radars, are driving the demand for military radars
There is an increasing demand for technologically advanced warfare systems from the defense forces, propelling the need for waveguide
The phase shifters segment is expected to dominate the overall market and expand at a CAGR of 10.6% from 2022 to 2030
The elliptical waveguide segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period
The primary source markets for Waveguide are China, the U.S., Japan, India, the U.K., Canada, Germany, France, Brazil, and Mexico. The U.S. will be the primary source market for waveguide companies.