Application of stopband of composite right/left-handed transmission line for broadband power divider design

This paper presents an alternative, new approach to the design of power divider based on composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH TL), where stopband propagation characteristics are employed. Two theoretical methods, namely, use of Floquet theorem analyzing CRLH TL of infinite length and scattering analyses of CRLH TL of finite length, lead to nearly identical complex modes and characteristics impedances. Complex conjugate terminations are required for achieving maximum reflectionless power transfer for the CRLH TL, such complex termination scheme is applied to the series type power divider design, showing theoretical limit of -3dB is attainable with plusmn13deg phase variation and 0.25 dB magnitude deviation across the entire stopband of the CRLH TL.