Real-Time Microwave Signal Processing Using Microstrip Technology

We experimentally demonstrate two applications of microstrip technology in the domain of real-time microwave signal processing. Both applications employ a modulated strip width featuring a linearly distributed modulation period (i.e. linear chirp). The high-dispersion, low-loss nature of such a microstrip makes it suitable for real-time Fourier transformation, whereby an incident signal's frequency content becomes temporally ordered and can be detected or processed using time-domain methods. In addition, such a microstrip is capable of providing adjustable true-time delay by means of up-and down-conversion through conventional mixers, with potential applications for phased-array antennas.