High temperature superconducting ferrite phase shifter with new latching structure

Superconductor ferrite phase shifters are attractive for phased array radar systems. The huge reduction in size and losses mean that smaller systems are possible. This paper reports a new latching structure for a superconducting ferrite phase shifter which is compact in size and has low losses. The total size of the phase shifter is 6.0 cm/spl times/3.0 cm/spl times/2.5 cm including housing. It should be pointed out that two phase shifters can be accommodated in this size. The minimum insertion loss of the designed phase shifter was measured at 0.8 dB. The phase shifter is fabricated using a Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) microstrip meander-line on a one centimetre square low loss sapphire substrate. We press contacted a magnetized ferrite substrate, with a silver ground plane, onto the fabricated YBCO meander-line to obtain non-reciprocal phase shifting. To magnetize the ferrite substrate without causing magnetic field penetration into the high temperature superconductor (HTS), we propose a new latching structure comprising a single ferrite layer with magnetizing coils. This new structure will confine the magnetic field within the ferrite substrate by providing a closed magnetic path. This is achieved by making a large hole at center of the ferrite substrate.