Electronically reconfigurable 2-bit phase quantization phased array element

A phased array antenna comprising:

• a plurality of phase shift elements, wherein each phase shift element of the plurality of phase shift elements comprises
• an antenna;
• a first dielectric layer;
• a ground plane mounted to a first surface of the first dielectric layer;
• a reflecting circuit mounted to a second surface of the first dielectric layer, wherein the first surface is opposite the second surface;
• and
• a single antenna-reflector line connected between the antenna and the reflecting circuit through the ground plane and the first dielectric layer, wherein the antenna-reflector line is formed of a conducting material,
• wherein the reflecting circuit is configured to reflect a signal received on the single antenna-reflector line from the antenna back to the antenna on the single antenna-reflector line;
• wherein the reflecting circuit is further configured to be switchable between four different phase shifts when the signal is reflected by the reflecting circuit;
• wherein each of the four different phase shifts is associated with a different impedance value of the reflecting circuit;
• and
• wherein the reflecting circuit controls the impedance value by changing a switch state of a plurality of diodes to switch between the four different phase shifts.