Planar digital ferroelectric phase shifter
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsThomas E. Koscica, Richard W. Babbitt, William C. Drach
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Abstract
A planar stripline type of ferroelectric phase shifter which includes a set f series coupled phase shifter sections, each having mutually different and binary weighted lengths of ferroelectric phase shifting material. Fixed amplitude control voltages are respectively applied to one or more lengths of ferroelectric material the permittivity and effective electrical length of which change to provide a desired composite phase shift. The phase shifter, moreover, employs half wavelength spacings between elements or matching networks therebetween so that the microwave signal propagating through the phase shift will be minimally impeded between the input end and an output end.
Claims12
A digital phase shifter comprising:
- a plurality of intercoupled planar type microwave and millimeter wave phase shifter sections fabricated on a substrate, each section including a phase shifter element having a predetermined length and whose permittivity and effective electrical length are a function of a respective electric field applied thereto;
- means for applying separate electric fields of fixed magnitude in a binary digital operational mode to each of said phase shifter elements for providing a respective amount of fixed phase shift to microwave and millimeter wave signals propagating through said phase shifter sections;
- first microwave and millimeter wave transmission line means for coupling said signals to a first phase shifter section of said plurality of phase shifter sections;
- and
- second microwave and millimeter wave transmission line means for coupling said signals from a last phase shifter section of said plurality of phase shifter sections.
The digital phase shifter of claim wherein said plurality of phase shifter sections are serially coupled.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.