Potencial Benefits of Left/Right-Handed Transmission Lines for Microwave Applications

Abstract

Original design of a broadband digital phase shifter based on switching between transmission lines with positive and negative dispersion is presented. A simple approach to design phase shifters with the operational bandwidth, which can be extended to one octave regarding both the phase shift and the input matching, is considered. Artificial transmission line with the negative dispersion was implemented as quasi-lumped-element coplanar structure using a multilayer technology. The simulated and measured performance of the 180° phase shifter is presented.