Real-time spectrum analysis in microstrip technology

We report on a time-domain analog in microwave lines to the spatial Fraunhofer (far-field) diffraction in paraxial conditions. Microstrip lines are used to design filtering configurations acting as spectrum analyzers. They are based on linearly chirped distributed Bragg coupling between the fundamental microstrip mode and the same but counterpropagating mode. Linearly chirped continuous impedance modulation in a microstrip line with varying upper plane strip-width will be shown to yield a mode-coupling location and group delay linearly distributed in frequency. Under the condition of a temporal equivalent to the spatial Fraunhofer inequality, the energy spectral density of the input signal is directly recoverable from the average output (reflected) power. It is only necessary to take into account a linear axis-change, given by the dispersion coefficient (group-delay slope) of the structure, from time to Fourier frequency. Both pulsed and nonpulsed RF signals are studied. Sequential time-gated segments of the input have to be processed in the nonpulsed case. The maximum frequency resolution achievable in this situation is discussed. The devices developed here could have important potential applications in the field of temporal signal processing, such as filtering using time-division techniques. Other application areas could be frequency-shift estimations using time-delay measurements in reflection, as well as the translation of path differences (temporal separation of signals) into frequency changes of an oscillatory interference pattern at the output.