Subharmonically Pumped Millimeter-Wave Upconverters Based on Heterostructure Barrier Varactors

Author

Xu, Haiyong ; Duan, Yiwei ; Hesler, Jeffrey L. ; Crowe, Thomas W. ; Weikle, Robert M., II

Author_Institution

Dept. of Phys., Virginia Univ., Charlottesville, VA

Volume

54

Issue

10

fYear

2006

Firstpage

3648

Lastpage

3653

Abstract

A heterostructure barrier varactor subharmonic upconverter is investigated for the first time. Odd sidebands are suppressed due to the symmetric capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristic of the varactor and high output power is possible through epitaxial stacking of barriers. The upconverter is pumped using a millimeter-wave local oscillator, and can be used as a transmission-type double-sideband suppressed carrier modulator. The initial measured conversion loss is 8-16 dB at 100 and 200 GHz. The results are significantly improved by using external impedance tuners, which is verified through both simulations and measurements

Keywords

harmonic generation; millimetre wave frequency convertors; varactors; 100 GHz; 200 GHz; 8 to 16 dB; capacitance-voltage characteristic; carrier modulator; double-sideband suppression; epitaxial stacking; heterostructure barrier varactors; impedance tuners; millimeter-wave local oscillator; millimeter-wave modulation; millimeter-wave upconverters; subharmonic upconverter; Capacitance-voltage characteristics; Frequency; Millimeter wave communication; Millimeter wave measurements; Millimeter wave technology; Power generation; Schottky diodes; Stacking; Submillimeter wave technology; Varactors; Converters; heterostructure barrier varactor (HBV); millimeter-wave modulation; varactors;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9480

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TMTT.2006.882890

Filename

1705683