On Design and Evaluation of Harmonic Transponders

Performance and characterization of harmonic transponders is investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The harmonic response of a transponder based on a Schottky diode is analytically derived in the case when the excitation power is low. Theoretical calculations prove that at high frequencies, capacitive nonlinearity contributes more to frequency multiplication than resistive nonlinearity. This means that the feasibility of a particular diode for harmonic transponder applications largely depends on its varactor properties. Figures-of-merit (FOM) are derived both for the mixing diode and the transponder antenna. The validity of the proposed theoretical model is investigated experimentally using a harmonic transponder operating at 1 GHz fundamental frequency.