Microwave Ferrites for Phase Shifting Applications

Because of the trend in modern RADARs to the phased array type, a great deal of activity exists in the field of ferrite phase shifters. The desired high level of antenna performance has put stringent requirements on the phase shifting elements. Low insertion loss, ability to handle high peak and average power, temperature stability, and low switching time and switching energy are desired. Due to the large number of elements there are also considerations on cost, size, and reproducibility. These requirements lead to specifications which are an extensive test of the ingenuity of the element designer and frequently tax the state of the art in ferrite materials.