A new phase-shifterless beam-scanning technique using arrays of coupled oscillators

A method for electronic beam scanning in linear arrays of antenna-coupled oscillators is introduced which eliminates the need for phase shifters. It is shown that a constant phase progression can be established by slightly detuning the peripheral array elements, while maintaining mutual synchronization. This unusual nonlinear behavior is explained using coupled Van der Pol equations. A stability analysis provides theoretical limitations on the achievable interelement phase shift. When the phase of the coupling is zero, the theory predicts an interelement phase shift that can be varied continuously over the range -90°>Δθ<+90° and is independent of the number of oscillators in the array. An experimental four-element planar MESFET array was built, operating at 10 GHz with close to zero coupling phase, giving a measured phase progression that was continuously variable over the range -88°<Δθ<66°