Effects of changes in operating conditions on the phase of a frequency-locked Gunn oscillator in X band

The frequency and phase-locking properties of solid-state microwave oscillators are of current interest in the contexts of phase control of oscillators, and the combining of a number of oscillators to achieve improved output power. A particular case of interest is that of the phased array antenna, in which the dual functions of power combination and beam steering are needed. In the latter case, it may be necessary to have control over the relative phases of a large number of oscillators locked to a common frequency. In a phased array, there is a special need to set the relative phases of the oscillators accurately, and to maintain the accuracy of the settings as parameters such as ambient temperature vary. A number of workers have investigated the frequency-locking properties of negative-resistance oscillators, but no comprehensive study of their phase-locking properties has been reported.