Showing papers in "IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques in 2019"

In-Band Full-Duplex Technology: Techniques and Systems Survey

Abstract: In-band full-duplex (IBFD) technology can enable unique system capabilities and network architectures by allowing devices to transmit and receive on the same frequency at the same time. While previously considered impossible, this ability can now be used to optimize resource sharing within the crowded frequency spectrum for various communication systems, including 5G new radio. The potential of these IBFD systems can only be realized if each device incorporates a sufficient number of self-interference cancellation techniques to ensure that its receivers do not saturate. This tutorial survey offers the most comprehensive collection to date of these techniques and discusses how all of them can be implemented within the different domains of a typical transceiver. In addition, the results of a novel IBFD system study are presented for more than 50 demonstrated communication systems with more than 80 different measurement scenarios. The various system parameters are then combined into a new figure of merit, which can be used to propel future research and accelerate the inclusion of IBFD technology within an upcoming wireless standard.

Ultrahigh-Sensitivity Microwave Sensor for Microfluidic Complex Permittivity Measurement

Abstract: The conventional resonant-type microwave microfluidic sensors made of planar resonators suffer from limited sensitivities. This is due to the existence of several distributed capacitors in their structure, where just one of them acts as a sensing element. This article proposes a very high-sensitivity microwave sensor made of a microstrip transmission line loaded with a shunt-connected series LC resonator. A large sensitivity for dielectric loadings is achieved by incorporating just one capacitor in the resonator structure. Applying sample liquids to the microfluidic channel implemented in the capacitive gap area of the sensor modifies the capacitor value. This is translated to a resonance frequency shift from which the liquid sample is characterized. The sensor performance and working principle are described through a circuit model analysis. Finally, a device prototype is fabricated, and experimental measurements using water/ethanol solutions are presented for verification of the sensing principle.

A CSRR-Based Sensor for Full Characterization of Magneto-Dielectric Materials

Abstract: In this paper, a novel complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR)-based sensor for full characterization of magneto-dielectric materials is proposed. In general, the operation of microwave resonance-based sensor hinges on the shift in the resonance frequency and the change in the quality factor of the loaded structure. However, both the electric permittivity and the magnetic permeability of the material under test (MUT) have similar effect on the response of the sensor that makes the simultaneous determination of the permittivity and permeability challenging. To remove this difficulty, the main idea behind this paper is to localize the highest intensity of the electric and magnetic fields in two separate zones. By the analysis of the measured resonance frequency and quality factor, the real and imaginary parts of the electric permittivity and the magnetic permeability of the MUT can be determined. Although the characterization of the permittivity and permeability of materials using split-ring resonator and CSRR-based sensors has been widely used, to the best of our knowledge, the full characterization of magneto-dielectric materials using a single sensor has not yet been reported in this paper. As a proof of concept, the sensor was fabricated and used to measure the permittivity and permeability of several materials. Strong agreement between the extracted values and the reference data was achieved.

Full-Duplex OFDM Radar With LTE and 5G NR Waveforms: Challenges, Solutions, and Measurements

Abstract: This article studies the processing principles, implementation challenges, and performance of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM)-based radars, with particular focus on the fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and fifth-generation (5G) New Radio (NR) mobile networks’ base stations and their utilization for radar/sensing purposes. First, we address the problem stemming from the unused subcarriers within the LTE and NR transmit signal passbands and their impact on frequency-domain radar processing. In particular, we formulate and adopt a computationally efficient interpolation approach to mitigate the effects of such empty subcarriers in the radar processing. We evaluate the target detection and the corresponding range and velocity estimation performance through computer simulations and show that high-quality target detection as well as high-precision range and velocity estimation can be achieved. In particular, 5G NR waveforms, through their impressive channel bandwidths and configurable subcarrier spacing, are shown to provide very good radar/sensing performance. Then, a fundamental implementation challenge of transmitter–receiver (TX–RX) isolation in OFDM radars is addressed, with specific emphasis on shared-antenna cases, where the TX–RX isolation challenges are the largest. It is confirmed that from the OFDM radar processing perspective, limited TX–RX isolation is primarily a concern in the detection of static targets, while moving targets are inherently more robust to transmitter self-interference (SI). Properly tailored analog/RF and digital SI cancellation solutions for OFDM radars are also described and implemented and shown through RF measurements to be key technical ingredients for practical deployments, particularly from static and slowly moving targets’ point of view.

Deep Neural Network Technique for High-Dimensional Microwave Modeling and Applications to Parameter Extraction of Microwave Filters

Abstract: This article introduces the deep neural network method into the field of high-dimensional microwave modeling. Deep learning is nowadays highly successful in solving complex and challenging pattern recognition and classification problems. This article investigates the use of deep neural networks to solve microwave modeling problems that are much more challenging than that solved by the previous shallow neural networks. The most commonly used activation function in the existing deep neural network is the rectified linear unit (ReLU), which is a piecewise hard switch function. However, such a ReLU is not suitable for microwave modeling where the input–output relationships are smooth and continuous. In this article, we propose a new deep neural network to perform high-dimensional microwave modeling. A smooth ReLU is proposed for the new deep neural network. The proposed deep neural network employs both the sigmoid function and the smooth ReLU as activation functions. The new deep neural network can represent the smooth input–output relationship that is required for microwave modeling. An advanced three-stage deep learning algorithm is proposed to train the new deep neural network model. This algorithm can determine the number of hidden layers with sigmoid functions and those with smooth ReLUs in the training process. It can also overcome the vanishing gradient problem for training the deep neural network. The proposed deep neural network technique can solve microwave modeling problems in a higher dimension than the previous neural network method, i.e., shallow neural network method. Two high-dimensional parameter-extraction modeling examples of microwave filters are presented to demonstrate the proposed deep neural network technique.

Development, Implementation, and Characterization of a 64-Element Dual-Polarized Phased-Array Antenna Module for 28-GHz High-Speed Data Communications

Abstract: Silicon-based millimeter-wave (mm-wave) phased-array technologies are enabling directional wireless data communications at Gb/s speeds. In this paper, we review and discuss the challenges of implementing a multichip phased-array antenna module for mm-wave applications using organic buildup substrate technology. A prototype test vehicle has been fabricated and studied to evaluate the antenna and interconnect performance, dielectric properties, package substrate warpage conditions at different temperatures, chip- and board-level joint process reliability, and thermal management feasibility for cooling. Based on the learning from the test vehicle, an organic-based multilayered phased-array antenna package for 28-GHz mm-wave radio access applications is implemented. The package incorporates 64 dual-polarized antenna elements and features an air cavity common to all antennas. Direct probing measurements on a single-antenna element of the package show over 3 GHz of bandwidth and 3-dBi gain at 28 GHz. A phased-array transceiver module has been developed with the package; the module includes four SiGe BiCMOS ICs attached using flip-chip assembly. Module-level measurements in the TX mode show a 35-dB near-ideal output power increase for 64-element power combining; 64-element radiation pattern measurements are reported with a steering range of ± 50° without tapering in off-boresight directions, and 64-element radiation pattern measurements with tapering show achievement of a sidelobe level lower than −20 dB. The transceiver modules achieved 20.64-Gb/s throughput with 256 QAM and 800-MHz bandwidth in direct over-the-air link measurement results.

Statistical Blockage Modeling and Robustness of Beamforming in Millimeter-Wave Systems

Abstract: There has been a growing interest in the commercialization of millimeter-wave (mmW) technology as a part of the fifth-generation new radio wireless standardization efforts. In this direction, many sets of independent measurements show that the biggest determinants of viability of mmW systems are penetration and blockage of mmW signals through different materials in the scattering environment. With this background, the focus of this paper is on understanding the impact of blockage of mmW signals and reduced spatial coverage due to penetration through the human hand, body, vehicles, and so on. Leveraging measurements with a 28-GHz mmW experimental prototype and electromagnetic simulation studies, we first propose statistical models to capture the impact of the hand, human body, and vehicles. We then study the time scales at which mmW signals are disrupted by blockage (hand and human body). Our results show that these events can be attributed to physical movements, and the time scales corresponding to blockage are, hence, on the order of a few 100 ms or more. Network densification, subarray switching in a user equipment designed with multiple subarrays, fall back mechanisms, etc., can address blockage before it leads to a deleterious impact on the mmW link margin.

High-Dimensional Global Optimization Method for High-Frequency Electronic Design

Abstract: Efficient global optimization of microwave systems is a very challenging task that emerges in importance for rapid design closure and discovery of novel structures. As the operating frequency increases, additional difficulties in design optimization occur due to increased nonlinearity, creating a high-dimensional nonconvex response surface. Bayesian optimization (BO) is a promising solution to solve such problems. However, BO-based methods suffer from the curse of dimensionality, where the number of simulations required for convergence increases exponentially with the number of parameters. In this paper, we address this problem and propose a new BO-based high-dimensional global optimization method titled, Bayesian Optimization with Deep Partioning Tree (DPT-BO). DPT-BO leverages a novel DPT that allows for rapid coverage of high-dimensional sample spaces and utilizes an additive Gaussian process (ADD-GP) with a fully additive decomposition, making it more suitable for high-frequency design optimization. We apply DPT-BO to different optimization test functions along with three high-frequency design applications, namely, maximizing signal integrity in high-speed channels, minimizing losses of substrate integrated waveguides with air cavity, and maximizing efficiency of wireless power transfer systems. The results show that DPT-BO finds control parameters that provide better performance in less CPU time compared to other techniques.

Comparative Study of Acoustic Wave Devices Using Thin Piezoelectric Plates in the 3–5-GHz Range

Abstract: This paper investigates the applicability of acoustic wave devices using an interdigital transducer placed on a thin piezoelectric crystal plate to the 3–5-GHz range, where significant performance degradation was expected in surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. Three types of the SAW-like devices were fabricated by using a KrF stepper/scanner, and their performances are compared from various aspects: 1) a 3.5-GHz resonator using a rotated $Y$ -cut LiTaO3 plate attached on a Si substrate; 2) a 5-GHz resonator using a $X$ -cut LiNbO3 plate on a Si substrate; and 3) a 5.4-GHz $A_{1}$ Lamb mode resonator on a free-standing $Z$ -cut LiNbO3 plate. It is revealed that these devices offer excellent performances even in the 3–5-GHz range.

Power Amplifiers for mm-Wave 5G Applications: Technology Comparisons and CMOS-SOI Demonstration Circuits

Abstract: A review is presented of key power amplifier (PA) performance requirements for millimeter-wave 5G systems, along with a comparison of the potential of different semiconductor technologies for meeting those requirements. Output power, efficiency, and linearity considerations are highlighted, and related to semiconductor material characteristics. Prototype 5G PAs based on silicon technologies are then reviewed, with primary emphasis on CMOS-SOI. Stacked FET PAs based on nMOS and pMOS for 28-GHz operation are presented, along with outphasing and Doherty amplifiers. Peak power-added efficiency (PAE) up to 46% is demonstrated for a two-stack pMOS amplifier with saturation power (Psat) above 19 dBm. PAE at 6 dB backoff above 27% is shown for an nMOS Doherty PA with 22-dBm Psat. Operation with 64QAM OFDM modulation signals at 800-MHz bandwidth is reported, with up to 13-dBm output power and more than 17% PAE, without the use of digital predistortion. Future challenges for PA development are discussed.

Full-Angle Digital Predistortion of 5G Millimeter-Wave Massive MIMO Transmitters

Abstract: In this paper, a full-angle digital predistortion (DPD) technique is proposed to linearize fifth-generation (5G) millimeter-wave (mmWave) massive multiple-input-multiple-output (mMIMO) transmitters with low implementation complexity. It is achieved by compensating the differences of power amplifiers (PAs) in different transmitter chains first and then adopting a common digital block to linearize the whole subarray. Based on this operation, all the transmitter chains can be efficiently linearized simultaneously, providing the merits of full-angle linearization including the main beam and sidelobes. To validate the proposed idea, an mmWave full-digital beam-forming transmitter has been developed, which is operated at the center frequency of 24.75–28.5 GHz to meet the 5G candidate frequency bands. Experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively linearize the mmWave mMIMO transmitter in all directions, which provides a promising linearization solution for 5G mMIMO beam-forming systems.

Design of 3-D Multilayer Ferrite-Loaded Frequency-Selective Rasorbers With Wide Absorption Bands

Abstract: A multilayer structure and magnetic ferrite material are employed to expand the absorption bandwidth of 3-D frequency-selective rasorber (FSR). Resonant-like ferrite is used to realize the magnetic loss with high selectivity of absorption over a wide frequency band, while the multilayer structure is proposed to achieve multiple absorption peaks at designated frequencies. Combining the loaded ferrite material with multilayer structure can realize wide absorption bands. Equivalent circuit models are utilized to understand the operating mechanism of the described 3-D structure and to guide the design of multilayer structure with selected ferrite materials. Two broadband 3-D FSRs are designed, fabricated, and measured. Both designs achieve the sextuple bandwidth ratio with reflectivity less than −10 dB, and the absorption band with a bandwidth ratio of >2.6:1 can be achieved at either lower or upper absorption band, respectively.

Enabling High Accuracy Distance Measurements With FMCW Radar Sensors

Abstract: With the integrated radar technology being increasingly common in the automotive segment, it becomes even more cost-effective in other applications as well. Taking into account its price and robustness, radar sensors can be considered as a potential replacement for laser interferometry which is being widely used for accurate contactless sensing. In this paper we describe a phase evaluation algorithm for highly accurate distance measurements using linear frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar systems, considering hardware dependent effects i.e. frequency responses of the signal paths. In several investigations we show that this novel algorithm is significantly more robust against disturbing radar targets or micro vibrations than typical techniques. Distance measurements were carried out using an 80 GHz wideband FMCW radar sensor on a maximum measurement range of 5.2 m with a movable radar target. For free space measurements the unambiguous measurement accuracy was improved to $\pm 4.5~\mu \text{m}$ , using phase evaluation techniques in a non-ideal environment over the entire measurement range, which was previously around $\pm 120~\mu \text{m}$ with frequency evaluation techniques. Due to its robustness and accuracy, the proposed algorithm is well suited for harsh industrial environments such as real time positioning of machine tools.

An Interference Mitigation Technique for FMCW Radar Using Beat-Frequencies Interpolation in the STFT Domain

Abstract: A frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar interference mitigation technique using the interpolation of beat frequencies in the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) domain, phase matching, and reconfigurable linear prediction coefficients estimation for Coherent Processing Interval processing is proposed. The technique is noniterative and does not rely on algorithm convergence. It allows the usage of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) as the radar’s beat-frequency estimation tool, for reasons such as real-time implementation, noise linearity after the FFT, and compatibility with legacy receiver architectures. Verification is done in range and in range-Doppler using radar experimental data in two ways: first by removing interferences from interference-contaminated data and second by using interference-free data as the reference data, and processing it—as if it had interferences—using the proposed technique, inverse cosine windowing and zeroing for comparison. We found that processing with the proposed technique closely matches the reference-data and outperforms the inverse cosine windowing and zeroing techniques in 2-D cross correlation, amplitude, and phase average errors and phase root-mean-square error. It is expected that the proposed technique will be operationally deployed on the TU Delft simultaneous-polarimetric PARSAX radar.

A 5G 28-GHz Common-Leg T/R Front-End in 45-nm CMOS SOI With 3.7-dB NF and −30-dBc EVM With 64-QAM/500-MBaud Modulation

Abstract: This paper presents a 28-GHz common-leg phased-array front-end in 45-nm CMOS silicon on insulator with transmit and receive capabilities. The design alternates cascode amplifiers with passive switched- $LC$ phase-shifter cells to result in 5-bit phase control with an rms phase and gain error <4° and <0.8 dB, respectively, at 24–30 GHz, over 32 phase states. The front-end has 2- and 3-bit variable gain amplifiers with 7.5-dB total gain control, without affecting the system noise figure (NF). Two low-loss high-linearity single-pole double-throw switches are used to switch between transmit and receive modes. In the receive (Rx) mode, the measured gain, NF, input 1-dB compression point (P1dB), and input third-order intercept point are 16 dB, 3.7 dB, −15 dBm, and −7 dBm, respectively, with 54-mW dc power consumption. In the transmit (Tx) mode, measurements show 16.5-dB gain, an output P1dB of 8 dBm, and an output IP3 of 16 dBm with 100-mW dc power consumption. The error-vector magnitude and adjacent-channel-power-ratio measurements demonstrate quadrature phase-shift keying, 16-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), 64-QAM, and 16-QAM orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing modulations with several symbol-rates reaching up to 8 Gb/s data-rate for both the Rx and Tx modes at 2- and 5-dB back-off. The application areas are in fifth-generation phased arrays requiring high-linearity receivers and using external front-end modules for added transmit power.

Grid-Array Rectenna With Wide Angle Coverage for Effectively Harvesting RF Energy of Low Power Density

Abstract: It is difficult to effectively rectify or convert low power in the circuit stage of harvesters. The high-gain antenna can offer a higher level of power and is beneficial to RF power harvesting in a low power density environment. To extend the narrow beam of the conventional high-gain rectenna, the multiport and multibeam antenna is promising. To pursue a simple configuration and avoid extra beamforming networks, a traveling-wave grid-array antenna (GAA) with two isolated ports and two symmetrically tilted beams is proposed. A prototype is designed and fabricated after a detailed analysis of the GAA with tilted beams and the coplanar stripline-based rectifier. The measured results show that the proposed rectenna is sensitive and effective in a wide-angle range. The harvesting angle range is extended by combining two tilted beams and can be greater than 70°, where the level of dc power exceeds $100~\mu \text{W}$ when the power density is as low as $1~\mu \text{W}$ /cm2. A maximum dc output of 3.6– $203.8~\mu \text{W}$ and a maximum RF-to-dc conversion efficiency of 16.3%–45.3% are available at 2.45 GHz, under the condition that the power density ranges from 0.052 to $1~\mu \text{W}$ /cm2.

Improved Three-Stage Doherty Amplifier Design With Impedance Compensation in Load Combiner for Broadband Applications

Abstract: This paper presents a broadband three-stage Doherty power amplifier (DPA) using impedance compensation for bandwidth extension. Different from the conventional design, an impedance-compensating load combiner is proposed to broaden the bandwidth of the three-stage DPA by employing the output impedances of the peaking amplifiers. Considering the load impedance of the peaking branch as an independent design variable, the Doherty load modulations are analyzed in theory, pointing out the optimized solution for the load combiner. To achieve the impedance compensation, the peaking output matching networks are deliberately designed with the dual-impedance matching topology. Experimental results show that a three-stage DPA is realized from 1.6 to 2.6 GHz (48% fractional bandwidth) with a measured efficiency of 50%–53% at 9.5-dB back-off and a saturated output power around 45.5 dBm. When stimulated by the 20- and 40-MHz modulated signals at an average output power of around 36.5 dBm, the proposed DPA can achieve the adjacent channel leakage ratio of −50 dBc over the whole frequency band after linearization, with an average efficiency of higher than 50%.

Millimeter-Wave Continuous-Mode Power Amplifier for 5G MIMO Applications

Abstract: This paper presents three millimeter-wave (mm-wave) continuous-mode power amplifiers (PAs) for fifth-generation (5G) MIMO applications, including a two-stage differential continuous-mode Class-F−1 PA in 130-nm SiGe process, a single-stage differential continuous-mode hybrid Class-F/F−1 PA in 45-nm SOI CMOS process, and a two-stage differential continuous-mode hybrid Class-F/F−1 PA in 45-nm SOI CMOS process. The first PA design covers 19–29.5 GHz, while the other two designs cover 23–41 GHz, all covering multiple 5G bands (24/28/37/39 GHz). All the presented PA designs are based on a proposed transformer-based continuous-mode harmonically tuned PA output network. This network provides proper harmonic impedance terminations for the fundamental, second-order, and third-order harmonic impedances, which supports continuous-mode Class-F−1 or hybrid Class-F/F−1 PA operations to achieve ultrawide bandwidth yet high efficiency. The first PA design achieves a wide $P_{\mathrm {sat}}~1$ -dB bandwidth of 19–29.5 GHz (43.3%) and high peak power-added efficiency (PAE) (43.5%). The second design achieves an ultrawide $P_{\mathrm {sat}}~1$ -dB bandwidth of 23.5–41 GHz (53.3%) and high peak PAE (46%). Moreover, it achieves 43.4% PAE and 18.6-dBm $P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ at 27 GHz, 40.2% PAE and 18.6-dBm $P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ at 37 GHz, and 41.2% PAE and 18.5-dBm $P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ at 39 GHz, respectively. The third PA design also achieves an ultrawide $P_{\mathrm {sat}}~1$ -dB bandwidth of 23.5–41 GHz (53.3%) and high peak PAE (43.2%). It achieves 43% PAE and 18.9-dBm $P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ at 27 GHz, 37% PAE and 19-dBm $P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ at 37 GHz, and 36% PAE and 18.9-dBm $P_{\mathrm {sat}}$ at 39 GHz, respectively. Extensive 64-/256-QAM modulation tests demonstrate the high PA linearity. Our proposed PA designs outperform the reported mm-wave silicon-based 5G PAs in terms of high efficiency over an ultrawide bandwidth.

A Selective, Tracking, and Power Adaptive Far-Field Wireless Power Transfer System

Abstract: This paper proposes a selective, tracking, and power adaptive far-field wireless power transfer (WPT) system that may be integrated into passive wireless sensor networks (PWSNs). Both transmitter and receiving nodes are developed with features that allow them to cooperate. The system operates based on a backscattered pilot signal, which is used to control and focus the radiated energy. The transmitter may change between several states by turning on or off sets of antenna elements. Each of these states will transmit and consume a specific amount of power, and they will be selected based on the node’s received signal strength (RSS). The receiving nodes are low complexity and battery-less devices, which use a small portion of the rectified energy to create an RSS-dependent modulation frequency, used to drive a backscatter modulator. Based on the nonlinear response of the rectifying devices, additional hardware was integrated into the nodes to activate/wake up them from specific wireless power signals. A complete system operating at 5.8 GHz for WPT and 3.6 GHz for the pilot signal is reported. It will be shown that effective far-field WPT links can be created with reasonable simplicity.

Near-Field 3-D Millimeter-Wave Imaging Using MIMO RMA With Range Compensation

Abstract: This paper presents a multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) range migration algorithm (RMA) with range compensation for near-field millimeter-wave imaging. The proposed algorithm is derived based on the effective phase center principle and scalar diffraction theory. Compared with the original MIMO RMA, the propagation loss is compensated better, and the reconstructed image quality is improved significantly. In the process of image reconstruction, a multistatic array topology is transformed to a monostatic array, and the round-trip propagation is converted into unidirectional optical field propagation. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is analyzed theoretically, and demonstrated experimentally. Numerical simulations and experimental results show that the propagation loss in range is properly compensated by the proposed algorithm.

Bloch Analysis of Artificial Lines and Surfaces Exhibiting Glide Symmetry

Abstract: Glide-symmetric structures have recently emerged as a smart choice to design planar lenses and electromagnetic bandgap materials. We discuss here the conditions under which a glide-symmetric structure is equivalent to a nonglide-symmetric structure with a reduced period. To this aim, we propose an analysis method based on network theory to efficiently derive the dispersive behavior of these periodic structures. Both phase and attenuation constants can be determined, with potential applications to both guiding and radiating structures. Retaining higher order modal interactions among cells helps to derive the dispersive behavior of periodic structures more accurately. Furthermore, we take advantage of the higher symmetry of these structures to decrease the computational cost by considering only one half or one-quarter of a unit cell instead of the entire cell. We study one and 2-D glide-symmetric structures and confirm the validity of our analysis with comparisons from commercial software.

Diplexer-Based Fully Passive Harmonic Transponder for Sub-6-GHz 5G-Compatible IoT Applications

Abstract: A novel diplexer-based fully passive transponder is presented in this paper, which targets sub-6-GHz 5G-compatible internet-of-things applications. To alleviate the antenna design restrictions of traditional transponder with two separate antennas, a new architecture has been proposed with the introduction of a diplexer, which allows transponder to simply employ a dual-band antenna. In this paper, a dual-band circularly polarized omnidirectional spiral slot antenna, with enhanced bandwidth and gain performance, is designed as the transponder Tx/Rx antenna. Besides the new architecture, a diode selection criterion is proposed as well. Analytical models are derived, showing relationships between the diode’s SPICE parameters and the conversion efficiency or conversion loss (CL) of such diode-based transponders. With help of the analysis, transponder designers can easily identify diodes to implement transponders with better performance. Under the guidance of the criterion, low-barrier diode SMS7630 is chosen for verification. Measured CL results of the transponder circuitry part show a noticeable improvement over the state-of-the-art works. The complete prototype was tested with radar’s transmitting power of 25 dBm, and it presents a maximum read-out distance up to 7 m when the operating fundamental frequency is 3.5 GHz.

Compact High-Efficiency Broadband Metamaterial Polarizing Reflector at Microwave Frequencies

Abstract: A compact highly efficient broadband microwave polarizing reflector, employing a quasi-2-D metamaterial composed of a single layer of square split-ring resonators, is presented and its performance is reported. Numerical and experimental results show a cross-polarization average polarization conversion ratio of greater than 90% for normal incident linearly polarized waves over a frequency range of 8.2–23 GHz. Due to multiple resonances occurring over this frequency range, the polarizing reflector presents both broadband performance and high polarization conversion efficiency. Transfer matrix and equivalent surface impedance theory and modeling are discussed to explain the physical underpinnings of the reflector’s multiresonance behavior. These physical mechanisms are further analyzed by examination of simulated surface current distributions. The reflector is expected to be employed in applications where the control of the signal polarization is of central importance.

Hybrid RF-Solar Energy Harvesting Systems Utilizing Transparent Multiport Micromeshed Antennas

Abstract: The design of a hybrid radio frequency (RF) and solar energy harvesting (EH) system utilizing a transparent multiport antenna for indoor applications is described. The system incorporates an eight-port transparent antenna, operating in the unlicensed 2.4-GHz band, and is constructed from transparent copper micromeshed planar conductor. The antenna is integrated on the top surface of a solar cell with rectifiers positioned underneath to form a hybrid RF-solar indoor EH system. A key advantage of this approach is that the surface area of the solar cell is reused for the antenna saving space. Another novelty is the use of a multiport antenna for increasing the RF harvested energy. It is demonstrated that with a light intensity of 360 lux, the solar cell can obtain 1.68-mW power while the rectenna can achieve an additional 4.8%–45.8% harvested power when the incident RF input power density is varied from 13.30 to 52.96 mW/m2. The transparent antenna achieves 72.4% efficiency and is one of the highest reported results. In addition, the rectifiers obtain 53.2% RF-to-dc conversion efficiency for an RF input power of −10 dBm. These results demonstrate that the proposed RF-solar energy harvester can increase harvested energy and provide energy diversity.

A High-Resolution 220-GHz Ultra-Wideband Fully Integrated ISAR Imaging System

Abstract: In this paper, an ultra-wideband fully integrated imaging radar at sub-terahertz (sub-THz) frequencies is presented, which demonstrates a fine lateral resolution without using any focal lens/mirror. We have achieved a lateral resolution of 2 mm for an object at 23-cm distance as well as a range resolution of 2.7 mm. To achieve the decent range resolution, in a frequency modulation continuous wave radar configuration, a state-of-the-art chirp bandwidth (BW) of 62.4 GHz at a center frequency of 221.1 GHz is generated and efficiently radiated. We have presented a design technique for the optimal design of the passive embedding around the core transistor to maximize the tuning BW of the voltage controlled oscillator. At the receiver side, to maximize the intermediate frequency level, a subharmonic mixer is utilized, which is designed for the lowest conversion loss. Finally, to obtain the fine lateral resolution, we have implemented near-field beamforming algorithm based on the inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) systems. The synthesized beamwidth is less than 0.5°; hence, high-resolution images are reconstructed. The system is fabricated in a 55-nm BiCMOS process. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first imaging radar at THz/sub-THz frequencies, which utilizes ISAR to achieve a high lateral resolution while the radar system is fully integrated.

An Ambient RF Energy Harvesting System Where the Number of Antenna Ports is Dependent on Frequency

Abstract: We describe the design of a multiport rectenna system for ambient radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting where the number of ports utilized is dependent on frequency. A unique aspect of the design is the use of different numbers of antenna ports for harvesting RF energy at different frequencies. This allows the available area for the rectenna to be fully utilized at all frequencies. In particular, the proposed antenna is designed to have four ports for harvesting energy from the GSM-900 frequency band and 12 ports for the GSM-1800 frequency band in the same area. The design for the rectifiers for the GSM-900 and GSM-1800 frequency bands with direct current (dc) combining is provided and prototypes are demonstrated. Field-test measurements show that the proposed rectenna can provide an output dc voltage of more than 3.2 V, an output dc power of more than −10 dBm, and an RF-to-dc efficiency of greater than 42% when the power density is greater than $1400~\mu \mathrm {W/m^{2}}$ . Measurements in an ambient RF environment at a university campus with commercial GSM-900 and GSM-1800 systems in operation show that the proposed rectenna can achieve output dc voltages of up to 2.2 V and dc power up to −13.6 dBm.

Stepped-Frequency Continuous-Wave Radar With Self-Injection-Locking Technology for Monitoring Multiple Human Vital Signs

Abstract: This article proposes a single-conversion stepped-frequency continuous-wave (SCSFCW) radar that combines a stepped-frequency continuous-wave (SFCW) radar and a self-injection-locked (SIL) radar to benefit from the range resolution and the Doppler sensitivity of the two radars. An 8.5–9.5-GHz prototype SCSFCW radar system that comprises a subharmonic up/down converter with a 3–3.5-GHz stepped chirp local-oscillator (LO) signal and a 2.5-GHz SIL IF signal was developed to monitor the vital signs, i.e., respiration rate (RR) and heart rate (HR), of multiple humans. The coherence and range of the developed system were significantly enhanced by using a low pulse repetition frequency (PRF). In the experiment, the minimum distinguishable radial spacing between the vibrating frequencies of the metal plates that are not azimuthally overlapped with one another corresponds to a theoretical range resolution of 15 cm. However, owing to scattering by the human body, the minimum radial spacing for distinguishing between the vital signs of the individuals is three times than that for distinguishing between the metal plates in a similar experimental setup. Accordingly, the monitoring of up to three human vital signs using the developed system was demonstrated with a range-vital-Doppler map.

Design of Wideband In-Phase and Out-of-Phase Power Dividers Using Microstrip-to-Slotline Transitions and Slotline Resonators

Abstract: A new class of in-phase and out-of-phase power dividers with constant equal-ripple frequency response and wide operating bandwidth is presented in this paper. The proposed design is based on microstrip-to-slotline transitions and slotline resonators. A slotted T-junction is adopted to split the power into two parts and obtain wideband isolation between the two output signals at the same time. The characteristic impedance of the transitions and resonators determines the operating bandwidth and in-band magnitude response. By reversing the placement direction of the slotline-to-microstrip transition, the electrical field is reversed, thus resulting in out-of-phase responses between output ports. A thorough analysis of the relations between the structure and the characteristic functions is provided to guide the selection of parameters of the structure in order to meet the design objectives. In the structure, simulation and measurement are conducted to verify the design method. For both in-phase and out-of-phase cases, more than 110% bandwidth has been achieved with excellent matching at all ports and isolation of output signals. Constant in-band ripple is obtained within the operating band of the power dividers, indicating that the proposed design can realise minimal power deviations, which is extremely desired in wireless systems.

Linearity-Enhanced Doherty Power Amplifier Using Output Combining Network With Predefined AM–PM Characteristics

Abstract: In this paper, a new method is proposed to synthesize a linearity-enhanced Doherty power amplifier (DPA) without deteriorating its efficiency. This method determines the combiner network parameters so that a predefined amplitude-to-phase (AM–PM) characteristic is produced while maintaining proper load modulation and consequently good back-off efficiency. The predefined AM–PM characteristic is chosen to be the inverse of the main transistor to enhance the overall DPA linearity. For proof-of-concept validation purposes, a linearity-enhanced DPA circuit prototype is designed to provide linear overall AM–PM characteristics over the frequency band of 4.7–5.3 GHz. Meanwhile, its input matching network is designed to minimize the amplitude-to-amplitude (AM–AM) distortion by properly selecting the source impedances. The measurement results of the DPA prototype under continuous-wave stimuli reveal AM–PM and AM–AM characteristics with maximum phase and gain compression/expansion below ±1° and ±0.25 dB, respectively, when the input power level is swept up to a saturation level of 39 dBm over 4.9–5.3 GHz. Furthermore, when driven with carrier aggregated signals with modulation bandwidths of up to 160 MHz and a peak-to-average power ratio equal to 7.4 dB, the DPA prototype maintains an adjacent channel leakage ratio of better than −40 dBc with a drain efficiency in the excess of 40% and an average output power of 32 dBm, without resorting to any additional linearization schemes. The proposed DPA methodology paves the road for the application of the DPA technique to 5G massive multiple-input and multiple-output transmitters with relaxed linearity requirements as it avoids the extra complexity and power consumption overhead associated with dedicated linearization schemes.

A Novel 2-D $3\times3$ Nolen Matrix for 2-D Beamforming Applications

Abstract: In this paper, a 2-D beamforming phased array using a novel 2-D Nolen matrix network is presented. The Nolen matrix is a novel antenna feeding network composed of only couplers with dedicated coupling ratios and phase shifters. It does not require crossover and load termination compared to other networks based on Butler and Blass matrix. To be specific, the closed-form equations are derived first for uniplanar single $3 \times 3$ Nolen matrix, which is composed of three couplers and three phase delay lines. Most importantly, it is found that the proposed Nolen matrix can employ couplers with arbitrary phase differences to achieve relatively flexible progressive phase delays across the radiating elements, presenting a high degree of freedom on circuit topology and beamforming performance. Then, a 2-D antenna feeding network is designed by stacking and cascading six $3 \times 3$ Nolen matrices, and a 2-D patch antenna array is integrated with the proposed feeding network to generate nine radiation beams with unique directions on azimuth and elevation planes, realizing the 2-D beamforming function. To verify the proposed design concept, a prototype of 2-D beamforming phased array operating at 5.8 GHz is designed, fabricated, and measured, and the experimental results agree well with simulation and theoretical analysis.