Adaptive multi-band negative-group-delay RF circuits with low reflection

Two classes of frequency-reconfigurable multi-band negative-group-delay (NGD) circuit networks that feature low-input-power-reflection capabilities are reported. They consist of lossy-complementary-diplexer architectures, in which the NGD properties are obtained within the stopband regions of their lossy multi-band bandstop-filter (BSF) channel. Their complementary lossy multi-band bandpass-filter (BPF) branch absorbs in its terminating resistor the RF-input-signal energy that is not transmitted by the lossy multi-band BSF channel within its stopbands. In this manner, the input-reflectionless/absorptive behavior is realized. The theoretical foundations of the devised lossy-multi-band-BSF-based NGD structures using a coupling-routing-diagram formalism and single-to-multi-band admittance transformations are described. For the first-order case as illustration, guidelines for the synthesis in the bandpass frequency domain are provided. Furthermore, the extension of these multi-band NGD approaches to higher-order and in-series-cascade multi-stage realizations for more-general and wider-band NGD patterning, as well as to two-port/symmetrical designs, is shown. In addition, the conception of multi-functional passive components with NGD characteristics, such as wide-band BPFs and power directional couplers with embedded NGD regions, is also addressed. For experimental-demonstration purposes, an electronically-reconfigurable microstrip prototype of a two-stage-in-series-cascade dual-band NGD circuit is manufactured and measured

Active negative group delay circuits and applications

The design of a low profile antenna operating over wide bandwidth with enhanced radiation performance is the objective of this work. The methods to improve the operational bandwidth, reduce the size and enhance the radiation properties such as directivity and gain, while minimising the beam squint for an antenna are presented. Two antennas are designed: an electrically small antenna (ESA) integrated with an active circulator for simultaneous signal transmission and reception (duplex operation) operating over a wide bandwidth and a Fabry-Perot cavity antenna having high directivity and gain with reduced beam squint. A negative group delay (NGD) concept is used in lumped element implementation and in frequency selective surface implementation for achieving the objectives of this work. A detailed study is carried out on the filter based NGD network design. The NGD network impact is clearly demonstrated: in adjusting the impedance characteristics for the design of an ESA; in achieving wideband signal cancellation for the active circulator and in optimising the phase characteristics of a high impedance surface (HIS) for the design of a wideband Fabry-Perot cavity antenna with reduced beam squint. A low profile ESA is designed using a NGD matching network. The passive NGD network offers wide bandwidth impedance matching for an antenna over the frequency band, far lower than the quarter wavelength resonance frequency associated with the physical length of the antenna. The inevitable transmission loss of the NGD based matching network is compensated using an active circulator. This enables the ESA to be used in duplex mode. An active quasi-circulator operating over a wide bandwidth, working on a signal cancellation principle is designed using NGD networks. The employment of the NGD network achieved signal cancellation over a wide bandwidth. This network also offered extra design flexibility in terms of optimisation and selection of gain blocks. The ESA is integrated with an active circulator of 14% bandwidth operating at 1.8GHz. The average 5dB gains in the transmission and reception paths are used to compensate the losses of the matching network. This novel antenna is suitable for duplex operation over a wide bandwidth. The prototypes of the ESA and the active circulator are fabricated and tested separately. An ESA operating at 1.08GHz ( =0.98/2) of 50% bandwidth with a physical length of 43mm is designed and tested. This method is more stable and effective than those that are reported in the literature. The performance parameters of the ESA are discussed in detail. A three-port active circulator (clockwise: transmitter, antenna, receiver) operating at 1.5GHz with 200MHz (14%) bandwidth offering 20dB isolation between the transmitter and the receiver is fabricated and tested. Between any pair of ports the average gain in the clockwise direction is 5dB and the isolation in the anti-clockwise direction is greater than 20dB. The noise figure is less than 5dB from the antenna to the receiver. Using the proposed method the bandwidth of the circulator is improved almost 30 times compared to a similar design reported in the literature. A Fabry-Perot cavity antenna operating at 10GHz is designed with a partially reflective surface (PRS) and a high impedance negative group delay surface. The HIS with NGD characteristics enabled the establishment of the resonance phase condition over a 0.75GHz bandwidth resulting in a wideband cavity antenna with reduced beam squint. The signal absorption along the HIS and the possible loss compensation techniques are also discussed. A lossy design has exhibited only 0.20 per 100MHz beam squint over 1.5GHz bandwidth with degraded directivity and gain. A loss compensated model has exhibited 1.30 per 100MHz beam squint over 0.75GHz with improved directivity and gain of 19dBi and 5.6dBi respectively

Challenges and Opportunities for Multi-functional Oxide Thin Films for Voltage Tunable Radio Frequency/Microwave Components

There has been significant progress on the fundamental science and technological applications of complex oxides and multiferroics. Among complex oxide thin films, barium strontium titanate (BST) has become the material of choice for room-temperature-based voltage-tunable dielectric thin films, due to its large dielectric tunability and low microwave loss at room temperature. BST thin film varactor technology based reconfigurable radio frequency (RF)/microwave components have been demonstrated with the potential to lower the size, weight, and power needs of a future generation of communication and radar systems. Low-power multiferroic devices have also been recently demonstrated. Strong magneto-electric coupling has also been demonstrated in different multiferroic heterostructures, which show giant voltage control of the ferromagnetic resonance frequency of more than two octaves. This manuscript reviews recent advances in the processing, and application development for the complex oxides and multiferroics, with the focus on voltage tunable RF/microwave components. The over-arching goal of this review is to provide a synopsis of the current state-of the-art of complex oxide and multiferroic thin film materials and devices, identify technical issues and technical challenges that need to be overcome for successful insertion of the technology for both military and commercial applications, and provide mitigation strategies to address these technical challenges

Advances in Solid State Circuit Technologies

This book brings together contributions from experts in the fields to describe the current status of important topics in solid-state circuit technologies. It consists of 20 chapters which are grouped under the following categories: general information, circuits and devices, materials, and characterization techniques. These chapters have been written by renowned experts in the respective fields making this book valuable to the integrated circuits and materials science communities. It is intended for a diverse readership including electrical engineers and material scientists in the industry and academic institutions. Readers will be able to familiarize themselves with the latest technologies in the various fields

Antennas and Propagation Aspects for Emerging Wireless Communication Technologies

The increasing demand for high data rate applications and the delivery of zero-latency multimedia content drives technological evolutions towards the design and implementation of next-generation broadband wireless networks. In this context, various novel technologies have been introduced, such as millimeter wave (mmWave) transmission, massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems, and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) schemes in order to support the vision of fifth generation (5G) wireless cellular networks. The introduction of these technologies, however, is inextricably connected with a holistic redesign of the current transceiver structures, as well as the network architecture reconfiguration. To this end, ultra-dense network deployment along with distributed massive MIMO technologies and intermediate relay nodes have been proposed, among others, in order to ensure an improved quality of services to all mobile users. In the same framework, the design and evaluation of novel antenna configurations able to support wideband applications is of utmost importance for 5G context support. Furthermore, in order to design reliable 5G systems, the channel characterization in these frequencies and in the complex propagation environments cannot be ignored because it plays a significant role. In this Special Issue, fourteen papers are published, covering various aspects of novel antenna designs for broadband applications, propagation models at mmWave bands, the deployment of NOMA techniques, radio network planning for 5G networks, and multi-beam antenna technologies for 5G wireless communications

Metamaterials and Metasurfaces

Ye

Analog Implementation of Fractional-Order Elements and Their Applications

With advancements in the theory of fractional calculus and also with widespread engineering application of fractional-order systems, analog implementation of fractional-order integrators and differentiators have received considerable attention. This is due to the fact that this powerful mathematical tool allows us to describe and model a real-world phenomenon more accurately than via classical “integer” methods. Moreover, their additional degree of freedom allows researchers to design accurate and more robust systems that would be impractical or impossible to implement with conventional capacitors. Throughout this thesis, a wide range of problems associated with analog circuit design of fractional-order systems are covered: passive component optimization of resistive-capacitive and resistive-inductive type fractional-order elements, realization of active fractional-order capacitors (FOCs), analog implementation of fractional-order integrators, robust fractional-order proportional-integral control design, investigation of different materials for FOC fabrication having ultra-wide frequency band, low phase error, possible low- and high-frequency realization of fractional-order oscillators in analog domain, mathematical and experimental study of solid-state FOCs in series-, parallel- and interconnected circuit networks. Consequently, the proposed approaches in this thesis are important considerations in beyond the future studies of fractional dynamic systems

Practical realisation of multiband planar filters on multilayer substrates

This research presents the design of planar microwave filters implemented on microstrip multi-layer technology. These should be able to attain and realize specified essential requirements such as multi-band operation, compact size, and without significant deteriorated filter performance in comparison with single-band filters. The focus is placed on new synthesis and design procedures for multiband responses. In some cases, the possibility to include re-configurable characteristics of these filters is required. The focus of the research is entirely on examining the properties and implications of a previously proposed reactance transform method for multiband filter synthesis. The research commences with reviews of multi-band filter synthesis methods. The research specifically examines a full analytical synthesis approach based on reactance transforms method and the implications for practical design approaches Investigations on narrowband with coupled resonator filters representation and wide-band with quasi-lumped element filters representation of up to quad-bands based on reactance transform method are undertaken. With the emphasis on practical aspects such as losses and selectivity, which are related to the physical implementation on multi-layer substrate, the key differences between multiband and single-band filters based on a reactance transform are highlighted. It is illustrated that, in addition to the order of the basis filter, selectivity is influenced by the number of bands, the spacing of the bands and the relative bandwidths. It is also shown that loss has a significant effect on multiband filter responses, in a somewhat different way from that for single-band filters. Physical designs of narrow- band coupled resonators filters are implemented with the aim of examining the degrees of design freedom for multi-layer substrate design, considering the resonance properties and couplings between resonators and considering loss for resonators on different layers. Mercurywave 9350, a low-cost multi-layer substrate is chosen and deemed suitable for a number of reasons, including relatively constant permittivity over frequency. The designs consist of novel topologies: parallel connected multi-path referred to as transversal and also all-pole topologies. A transversal topology includes a dual-band dual-path design as well as a dual-band triple-path design while the all-pole topology is a quad-band design. The research explores re-configurable characteristics of narrow-band coupled resonators of a dual-band dual-path design. A process to obtain a re-configurable multi-band filter with electronically selected pass-bands, based on a reactance transform method for coupled resonator filters, is described. A dual-band multi-band filter realized on multi-layer substrate is designed for passive space applications and reconfigurability is demonstrated using a pre-selection method. For wide-band, quasi-lumped element filters are realized on multi-layer substrate, the inductors are implemented as rectangular spiral inductors and Capacitors as broadside coupling plates connected from two different layers through metallic vias. Parasitic that may influence the relative bandwidths

ReSCon '10, Research Student Conference: Book of Abstracts

The third SED Research Student Conference (ReSCon2010) was hosted over three days, 21-23 June 2010, in the Hamilton Centre at Brunel University. The conference consisted of oral and poster presentations, which showcased the high quality and diversity of the research being conducted within the School of Engineering and Design. The abstracts and presentations were the result of ongoing research by postgraduate research students from the School. The conference is held annually, and ReSCon plays a key role in contributing to research and innovations within the School