Beam squint remediation by switchable complex impedance in a broadband phased-array antenna system

A hierarchical true-time delay apparatus coupled to a broadband phased-array antenna system comprising:

• at least one sub-array beam squint compensator;
• each squint compensator coupled to, a plurality of sub-arrays of phased-array antenna elements, whereby signals emitted by said plurality of sub-arrays are transformed by delay and phase shifting to form directed beams, whereby broadband beam squint is minimized, and whereby signals across the antenna system are emitted in coherent order;
• wherein the hierarchical true-time delay apparatus comprises:
• a plurality of slow wave complex impedance transmission lines;
• and a switch controller which determines desired flight time delay from beam direction, and configures transmission lines and signal path in series to coherently combine signals from all phased-array elements across the antenna system;
• wherein the at least one sub-array beam squint compensator comprises:
• at least one variable gain amplifier coupled to a sub-array;
• at least one variable difference delay structure coupled to said variable gain amplifier;
• and a controller to set variable gain and variable difference delay to transform signals for each group of sub-arrays;
• wherein the sub-array of phased-array antenna elements further comprises:
• a variable gain amplifier coupled to each antenna element;
• a variable phase shifter coupled to each variable gain amplifier;
• and ports to receive antenna weights for variable gain, phase, and radio frequency signals, whereby radio frequency signals are transformed into a directed beam;
• and wherein each by group of sub-arrays is coupled to variable gain amplifiers and variable difference delay compensation structures in a hierarchy, whereby adjacent antenna elements may necessarily be placed within less than a wavelength.

A broadband phased array antenna signal transformation apparatus comprising:

• at least one tunable time-delay phase shift structure;
• a radio frequency (rf) chain comprising a phase shifter and an adjustable gain amplifier;
• an input port for incremental time-delay per block of substrate;
• an input port for phase value;
• and an input port for adjustable gain value.