Effects of Resonance-Based Phase Shifters on Ka-Band Phased Array Antenna Performance for Satellite Communications

Phase shifters are the key components of phased array systems which provide a low-profile solution for Ka-band satellite communications. In the transmitting mode, it is crucial for the phased array antenna system to meet the standard radiation masks, and any imperfections of phase shifters can yield into radiation mask violation. In this paper, we present the analytical approach to model the non-linear phase-frequency characteristics of Resonance-Based phase shifters, which constitute one of the most widely used class of phase shifters for Ka-band satellite communications. Furthermore, it has been investigated how the phase-frequency response non-linearity affects the phased array radiation patterns, gain, and the beam pointing direction. The simulation results show that, depending on the phase shifter phase-frequency response profile, the radiation mask satisfaction is an important factor in determining the system bandwidth.