Millimeter-wave electron-beam-switched resonance phase shifter

A powerful millimeter-wave phase shifter switched by an electron beam is studied. The operation of the device is based on the phase change in a wave reflected from a microwave resonator, depending on whether this resonator is or is not turned to resonance. Numerical simulation of several designs of the phase shifter is carried out, and the feasibility of its low-power operation is experimentally demonstrated. In the experiments, the typical time of phase change in the electromagnetic wave is 30 ns. It is shown that not only the electron beam, but also the near-electrode plasma, significantly influences the amount and time of phase change in the reflected wave.