We will demonstrate an alternative topology for the feedforward amplifier. This amplifier does not use a delay element, thus providing an efficiency enhancement and a size reduction by employing a distributed-element negative group-delay circuit. The insertion loss of the delay element in the conventional feedforward amplifier seriously degrades the efficiency. Usually, a high-power coaxial cable or a delay-line filter is utilized for a low loss, but the insertion loss, cost, and size of the delay element still act as a bottleneck. The proposed negative group-delay circuit removes the necessity of the delay element required for a broadband signal suppression loop. With the fabricated two-stage distributed-element negative group-delay circuit with 30 MHz of bandwidth and -9 ns of group delay for a wideband code-division multiple-access downlink band, the feedforward amplifier with the proposed topology experimentally achieved 19.4% power-added efficiency and -53.2-dBc adjacent channel leakage ratio with 44-dBm average output power.

Efficiency Enhancement of Feedforward Amplifiers by Employing a Negative Group-Delay Circuit

An intimate relation is established between non-Foster reactive elements and loss-compensated negative-group-delay (NGD) networks. It is shown that any possible network configuration containing a class of non-Foster elements operates as an NGD network. Likewise, it is demonstrated that a loss-compensated NGD network represents a reactive network with a non-Foster behavior. Consequently, these two properties can be intimately linked together and NGD networks can be utilized to implement non-Foster elements, such as negative capacitors and inductors. This result introduces another perspective in realizing non-Foster reactive elements, leading to new designs that are well behaved and more predictable in terms of stability and operation than traditional designs using negative impedance inverters and negative impedance converters. Based on this concept, loss-compensated NGD networks are proposed for realizing high-quality non-Foster reactive elements. Furthermore, entirely passive non-Foster elements with a limited quality ( Q) factor are proposed for which the minimum Q factor and the maximum achievable bandwidth are inversely related. It is shown that the design of non-Foster reactive elements using NGD networks can lead to the realization of standalone unilateral non-Foster reactive elements in a certain bandwidth. Examples of such non-Foster reactive elements and networks are demonstrated experimentally and shown to be stable.

Realizing Non-Foster Reactive Elements Using Negative-Group-Delay Networks

Beamforming in series-fed antenna arrays can inherently suffer from beam-squinting. To overcome the beam-squinting problem, low-dispersion, fast-wave transmission lines can be employed. Such transmission lines can be designed by loading a regular transmission line with non-Foster reactive elements (e.g., negative capacitors and inductors). As a result of a recent development, these non-Foster reactive elements can be implemented using loss-compensated negative-group-delay (NGD) networks, providing a solution to the stability issues associated with conventional non-Foster networks. In this work, transmission lines augmented by loss-compensated NGD networks, representing the non-Foster reactive-element loading, are employed for designing wideband fast-wave, low-dispersion transmission lines. This work consolidates this non-Foster reactive element loading method with earlier efforts where NGD networks were used to implement zero-degree phase shifters for beamforming at the broadside direction, and generalizes these methods for arbitrary-angle beamforming from backfire to endfire including the broadside direction. Experimental results are presented for a wideband linear four-element transmitting array feed network for beamforming at 30° with respect to the broadside direction in the frequency range 1–1.5 GHz. By connecting this feed network to four wideband tapered-slot antennas, the beamforming performance is experimentally verified inside an anechoic chamber. Moreover, the antenna array is experimentally tested for transmission of a narrow pulse, where low distortion is observed at the beamforming angle over the entire operating bandwidth. The physical length of the feed network is realistic and is 0.96 wavelengths long at the center of this frequency range. In addition, switched-line phase shifters are employed for squint-free beamforming in three other angles: 60°, 0°, and $-30^{\circ}$ .

Arbitrary-Angle Squint-Free Beamforming in Series-Fed Antenna Arrays Using Non-Foster Elements Synthesized by Negative-Group-Delay Networks

In this paper the asymptotic limits of negative group delay (NGD) phenomena in multi-stage RLC resonator-based circuits are discussed. A NGD-bandwidth-product limit is derived as a function of the number of stages and the out-of-band gain, which is independent of the circuit topology and can include active gain compensation. The limit is verified experimentally at microwave frequencies using a gain-compensated NGD circuit employing a parallel RLC resonator in the feedback path of a high-frequency op-amp. It is shown that, in the asymptotic limit, the NGD-bandwidth-product is proportional to the square root of the number of stages, and also to the square root of the logarithm of the out-of-band gain. The relation between the time-domain transient amplitude and the out-of-band gain is analyzed for finite-duration modulated signals, indicating an exponential increase in transient amplitudes with the square of NGD. Analysis shows that any attempt to increase the NGD of a finite-duration modulating waveform, by cascading more stages, is thwarted by the transients.

Asymptotic Limits of Negative Group Delay in Active Resonator-Based Distributed Circuits

This paper presents a novel approach to the design and implementation of a distributed transmission line negative group delay filter (NGDF) with a predefined negative group delay (NGD) time. The newly proposed filter is based on a simple frequency transformation from a low-pass filter to a bandstop filter. The NGD time can be purely controlled by the resistors inserted into the resonators. The performance degradation of the NGD time and signal attenuation (SA) of the proposed NGDF according to the temperature dependent resistance variation is also analyzed. From this analysis, it is shown that the NGD time and SA variations are less sensitive to the resistance variation compared to those of the conventional NGD circuit. For an experimental validation of the proposed NGDF, a two-stage distributed microstrip line NGDF is designed, simulated, and measured at an operating center frequency of 1.962 GHz. These results show a group delay time of -7.3 ns with an SA of 22.65 dB at the center frequency and have good agreement with the simulations. The cascaded response of two NGDFs operating at different center frequencies is also presented in order to obtain broader NGD bandwidth. NGDFs with good reflection characteristics at the operating frequencies are also designed and experimentally verified.

Microstrip Line Negative Group Delay Filters for Microwave Circuits

In this letter, we report on the design, simulation and implementation of an active negative group delay circuit that operates at 1 GHz with a group delay and a gain, respectively, around 2 ns and 2 dB. Analytical formulas are proposed to demonstrate that the adopted topology is able to simultaneously achieve negative group delay (NGD) and gain while fulfilling active device constraints. The theoretical and simulated results are both validated by frequency measurements of a two-stage active microwave circuit.

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Y.G. Boucher

Papers

Active Microwave Circuit With Negative Group Delay