Design Of High Power Capacity Phase Shifters Based On Composite Right/Left Handed Transmission Line

Phase shifters are important components in phased array, and their insertion losses, sizes and power capacities for satellites and missiles applications are major design concerns. Based on the composite right/left handed transmission line (CRLH-TL), a novel phase shifter with high power capacity is presented. Compared to the traditional right-hand transmission line based phase shifter, switches of the present phase shifters are mounted on the fingers of CRLH-TLs. Therefore, the electric currents through the switches are only a fraction of those through the whole phase shifters, the power capacity can be greatly improved.First, by analyzing the performance of CRLH-TL, a new distributed based equivalent circuit model of the CRLH-TL is performed. This distributed equivalent circuit can forecast the S-parameters and phase shifts of the CRLH-TL phase shifters effectively. Based on the equivalent circuit, two groups of phase shifters with different operating frequency and phase shifts are designed. Comparisons of the equivalent circuit computing and simulation results of CRLH-TL phase shifters demonstrate the present equivalent circuit model. Then, a 4-bit CRLH-TL phase shifter module and a CRLH-TL multi-phase phase shifter module are designed and fabricated. Simulation results and measure results agree with each other well. Finally, the power capacity of the CRLH-TL phase shifter is tested, the test results demonstrate CRLH-TL phase shifters possess high power capacity.