A 66–76 GHz Wide Dynamic Range GaAs Transceiver for Channel Emulator Application

Abstract

In this study, we developed a single-channel channel emulator module with an operating frequency covering 66–67 GHz, including a 66–76 GHz wide dynamic range monolithic integrated circuit designed based on 0.1 µm pHEMT GaAs process, a printed circuit board (PCB) power supply bias network, and low-loss ridge microstrip line to WR12 (60–90 GHz) waveguide transition structure. Benefiting from the on-chip multistage band-pass filter integrated at the local oscillator (LO) and radio frequency (RF) ends, the module’s spurious components at the RF port were greatly suppressed, making the module’s output power dynamic range over 50 dB. Due to the frequency-selective filter integrated in the LO chain, each clutter suppression in the LO chain exceeds 40 dBc. Up and down conversion loss of the module is better than 14 dB over the 66–67 GHz band, the measured IF input P1 dB is better than 10 dBm, and the module consumes 129 mA from a 5 V low dropout supply. A low-loss ridged waveguide ladder transition was designed (less than 0.4 dB) so that the output interface of the module is a WR12 waveguide interface, which is convenient for direct connection with an instrument with E-band (60–90 GHz) waveguide interface.

Editorial for the Special Issue on Broadband Terahertz Devices and Communication Technologies

“…Motivated by the potential of terahertz wireless communications, this Special Issue reports on recent critical technological breakthroughs in terms of broadband terahertz devices and communications, as well as novel technologies at other frequency bands that can also motivate terahertz research. Five studies [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ] present key devices for terahertz communications, including terahertz reconfigurable intelligent surfaces [ 1 ], terahertz micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) switches [ 2 ], resonant triple-band terahertz thermal detectors [ 3 ], G-band continuous-wave traveling wave tubes [ 4 ], and wide-dynamic-range GaAs transceivers [ 5 ], which could effectively support broadband terahertz systems. Furthermore, we have also selected three interesting research studies [ 6 , 7 , 8 ] on low-frequency bands for this Special Issue, including the design of 5G multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas [ 6 , 7 ] and differential low-noise amplifiers [ 8 ].…”

“…Due to the abundance of spectrum resources in the millimeter-wave band, the WRC-19 conference approved multiple mm-wave spectra for future mobile communication research and development, including the 66–67 GHz frequency range, which is near the terahertz band. Zhou et al [ 5 ] presented a 66–67 GHz transceiver monolithic microwave-integrated circuit (MMIC) in a waveguide module for massive MIMO channel emulator applications. The proposed transceiver integrates a tripler chain for local oscillator drive, a mixer, and a band-pass filter using a 0.1 µm pHEMT GaAs process.…”