Phase-Change-Material-Based True Time-Delay System

Abstract

This study explores the achievement of a tunable true time-delay (TTD) system for a microwave phased-array antenna (MPAA) by incorporating the reversible phase-transition property of phase-change material (PCM) with Bragg gratings (BGs) and a cascade of three phase-shifted Bragg grating resonators (CPSBGRs). The goal was to design a low-power-consuming, non-volatile highly tunable compact TTD system for beam steering. A programmable on/off reflector was designed by changing a PCM-incorporated BG/CPSBGR from one phase to another. By arranging several programmable on/off reflectors in a row, a delay line was realized, and by incorporating several delay lines, the TTD system was achieved. Numerical simulations and parametric analyses were conducted for the evaluation of the TTD system’s performance at an operating wavelength of 1550 nm and 1550.6 nm for programmable on/off reflectors with BGs and CPSBGRs. The findings point out the effectiveness of incorporating PCMs with BGs/CPSBGRs, thereby maintaining a high performance with less complexity.