Broadband electronically tunable reflection-based phase shifter for active-steering microwave reflectarray systems in Ku-band

This document provides the design of an electronically reconfigurable microwave phase shifter for reflectarray systems. The phase shifter is based on a hybrid coupler with reflective circuits in three ports. Each reflective circuit introduces a phase variation that can be modified due to the variable capacity value of a varactor inserted in it. The phase shifting process includes three different stages of phase shifting for the incoming signal in its way through the phase shifter: the signal is conducted through the device towards the reflective circuits in four different ways. The input port of the device is also the output one, providing the desired reflective phase shifting effect. This device is of great interest in reflectarray applications in order to provide more than 360° of controllable phase shifting at each array element. The document includes the complete design of the phase shifter along with its design parameters and circuital behaviour.