A Reflection-Type Dual-Band Phase Shifter with an Independently Tunable Phase

This paper presents a design for a dual-band tunable phase shifter (PS) with independently controllable phase shifting between each operating frequency band. The proposed PS consists of a 3-dB hybrid coupler, in which the coupled and through ports terminate with the same two reflection loads. Each reflection load consists of a series of quarter-wavelength (λ/4) transmission lines, λ/4 shunt open stubs, and compensation elements at each operating frequency arm. In this design, a wide phase shifting range (PSR) is achievable at each operating frequency band (fL: lower frequency; fH: higher frequency) by compensating for the susceptance occurring at the co-operating frequency band caused by the λ/4 shunt open stub. The load of fL does not affect the load of fH and vice versa. The dual-band tunable PS was fabricated at fL = 1.88 GHz and fH = 2.44 GHz, and testing revealed that achieved a PSR of 114.1° with an in-band phase deviation (PD) of ± 8.43° at fL and a PSR of 114.0° ± 5.409° at fH over a 100 MHz bandwidth. In addition, the maximum insertion losses were smaller than 1.86 dB and 1.89 dB, while return losses were higher than 17.2 dB and 16.7 dB within each respective operating band.

A Ku-Band Foldable Reflectarray Based on a Maltese-Cross Microstrip Element

Introduction. Reflectarrays have a number of design and functional advantages over their closest analogue - reflector antennas (RA). Although microstrip elements are the most preferred reflectarray elements, single-layer microstrip elements do not allow accurate phase control due to the limited phase adjustment range and a high phase slope. The use of multilayer elements significantly complicates the antenna design and increases its cost. The development of a single-layer element that allows more than 360° phase adjustment and a low phase curve slope is urgent.Aim. To develop a single-layer microstrip phase-correcting element with a phase adjustment range of more than 360° and to design a reflectarray on its basis for operation in satellite communication networks.Materials and methods. Numerical studies were carried out using finite element analysis and the finite-difference time-domain method. Radiation patterns were measured using the near-field scanning method in an anechoic chamber.Results. A phase-correcting element based on a single-layer Maltese cross-shaped microstrip element with close to linear dependence of element size on the phase of the reradiated wave and more than 360° phase adjustment range was developed. On the basis of the investigated element, a foldable reflectarray was designed. The reflector consists of four subarrays, which provide its compact folding for transportation. The results of experimental studies confirmed a high efficiency of the reflectarray, the gain of which is 1.5 dB lower than that of an identical overall dimensions RA in a 7 % operating frequency band. The operating frequency band of the reflectarray in 1 dB gain zone was 11 %.Conclusion. On the basis of a Maltese cross microstrip element, it is possible to implement a single-layer reflectarray with a more than 10 % frequency band. The developed prototype showed the possibility of creating highly efficient foldable reflectarrays for operation in satellite communication and television terminals.

SIW Cavity-Backed Antenna Array Based on Double Slots for mmWave Communications

This paper presents a cavity-backed antenna array in substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology in the millimeter-wave frequency band. The proposed antenna design uses double slots as radiating elements instead of conventional single slots. The double slots allow better control in the design of the operating frequency bands of the cavity-backed antenna. The performance of the cavity-backed antennas with single and double slots is compared to assess the enhanced behavior of the double slots. As a proof of concept, a 2 × 2 array of cavity-backed antennas is designed, manufactured, and measured. Each cavity-backed antenna contains 2 × 2 double slots; thus, a 4 × 4 antenna array is considered. The experimental operating frequency band of the proposed antenna array ranges from 35.4 to 37 GHz. There is a good agreement between the simulated and measured results. The measured gain is around 17 dBi in the whole operating frequency band with a 75% total antenna efficiency.

An E-Band 21-dB Variable-Gain Amplifier with 0.5-V Supply in 40-nm CMOS

This paper presents a variable-gain amplifier (VGA) in the 68–78 GHz range. To reduce DC power consumption, the drain voltage was set to 0.5 V with competitive performance in the gain and the noise figure. High-Q shunt capacitors were employed at the gate terminal of the core transistors to move input matching points for easy matching with a compact transformer. The four stages amplifier fabricated in 40-nm bulk complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) showed a peak gain of 24.5 dB at 71.3 GHz and 3‑dB bandwidth of more than 10 GHz in 68–78 GHz range with approximately 4.8-mW power consumption per stage. Gate-bias control of the second stage in which feedback capacitances were neutralized with cross-coupled capacitors allowed us to vary the gain by around 21 dB in the operating frequency band. The noise figure was estimated to be better than 5.9 dB in the operating frequency band from the full electromagnetic (EM) simulation.

Method of determination of maximum possible operating frequency band of Y-circulators based on lumped elements

In the last 10–15 years, a significant development has been achieved in the design of Y-circulators on lumped elements based on the Y-junction of intertwined conductors placed between two magnetized ferrite disks, which are small even in the meter and decimeter wavelength ranges. Therefore, they are very attractive decoupling components for developers of electronic equipment, especially onboard. Increasing the operating frequency band of circulators of this type is an urgent task, the solution of which can expand the range of their application in promising radio-electronic equipment. Methods for solving this problem are based on the inclusion in the circulator circuit of the corresponding band-expanding matching circuits on the reactive elements. Matching circuits can be included both in each arm of the circulator, and between the common point of the intertwined conductors and the “body”. But it is important for developers of Y-circulators to know what maximum results can be achieved with the use of band-expanding circuits even before the start of development. The authors’ research, the results of which are presented in this article, is devoted to solving this problem. The studies have been carried out by a semi-empirical method based on the consideration of the eigenvalues of the impedance matrices of narrow-band and broadband Y-circulators constructed on their basis, including band-expanding circuits. Comparing the behavior of the eigenvalues of the impedance matrices in the frequency representation and in the φ-representation (φ – phase of the signal transmission coefficient from input to output) when using standard circulation conditions allowed us to obtain analytical relations for calculating the maximum possible operating frequency band and the maximum possible decoupling between the arms of the circulator, as well as to formulate a method for calculating the reactivities of matching circuits that should be included in the circulator circuit.

A Compact Slotted Patch Hybrid-Mode Antenna for Sub-6 GHz Communication

A compact hybrid-mode antenna is proposed for sub-6 GHz communication. The proposed antenna is composed of a slotted rectangular patch, a feeding dipole, and a balun. Three modes are sequentially excited in a shared patch to achieve a compact size. A prototype antenna with a major size of 0.48 λ0 × 0.31 λ0 × 0.16 λ0 (λ0 is the wavelength in the free space at the center of the operating frequency band) is fabricated and measured. The measured results demonstrate an impedance bandwidth of 56.87% from 2.97 GHz to 5.33 GHz and an average gain of approximately 8.00 dBi with 1 dB variation in the operating frequency band of 3.0–5.0 GHz. The proposed antenna can be an element for microbase stations in sub-6 GHz communication.

Design of patch active electronically scanned antenna for 5G communication system

The article deals with the research and design results of an active electronically scanned antenna (AESA) based on beamforming BiCMOS monolithic integrated circuit (MIC) and patch antenna radiators. The operating frequency band is sub-6 GHz. MIC design is at the stage of transferring files to the manufacture and verification of integrated circuit parameters. In this regard, the current task is the antenna radiators design, that is the main focus of this paper.