TY - JOUR
T1 - Broadband high-efficiency circularly polarized active antenna and array for RF front-end application
AU - Qin, Yi
AU - Gao, Steven
AU - Sambell, Alistair
N1 - Published in the best journal in Microwave Theory and Techniques. Research results will be useful for mobile handset and mobile base station applications where low cost, small size, high efficiency, low power consumption/long battery life and circular polarization are needed. Collaborative project with external partners including Birmingham University. This project is supported by industries (Agilent Technologies). Research results directly relevant to wireless communications industries. One outcome of a PhD project (Y. Qin) funded by EPSRC EPSRC Grant GR/S42538/01.
PY - 2006/7
Y1 - 2006/7
N2 - This paper presents a broadband high-efficiency circularly polarized (CP) active integrated antenna, and a broadband CP active array at 2 GHz. To realize the broadband CP antenna, a circular patch is aperture coupled by crossed slots in the ground plane, which are fed by an L-shaped microstrip feed line below the ground. The antenna is designed to serve the functions of both a radiator and a harmonics-terminated load for class-E high-efficiency power-amplifier (PA) integration. The broadband CP active antenna is realized by directly integrating the broadband CP antenna with the class-E PA. It achieves a 9% bandwidth (1.84-2.01 GHz) for axial ratio (AR) below 3 dB, and a 12% bandwidth for power-added efficiency (PAE) over 60%. To form the broadband CP active array, four active antenna elements are sequentially rotated, and each element is directly integrated with broadband class-E PA. A low-cost printed-circuit-board technology is employed in fabrication and a pseudomorphic high electron-mobility transistor is used. A peak drain efficiency of 71.5% for the class-E amplifier is measured at 1.95 GHz. The active array achieves a peak-effective radiated power of 39.7 dBm, and PAE is over 50% within a 22.6% bandwidth (1.72-2.16 GHz). The AR is below 3 dB over a 27% bandwidth (1.72-2.26 GHz).
AB - This paper presents a broadband high-efficiency circularly polarized (CP) active integrated antenna, and a broadband CP active array at 2 GHz. To realize the broadband CP antenna, a circular patch is aperture coupled by crossed slots in the ground plane, which are fed by an L-shaped microstrip feed line below the ground. The antenna is designed to serve the functions of both a radiator and a harmonics-terminated load for class-E high-efficiency power-amplifier (PA) integration. The broadband CP active antenna is realized by directly integrating the broadband CP antenna with the class-E PA. It achieves a 9% bandwidth (1.84-2.01 GHz) for axial ratio (AR) below 3 dB, and a 12% bandwidth for power-added efficiency (PAE) over 60%. To form the broadband CP active array, four active antenna elements are sequentially rotated, and each element is directly integrated with broadband class-E PA. A low-cost printed-circuit-board technology is employed in fabrication and a pseudomorphic high electron-mobility transistor is used. A peak drain efficiency of 71.5% for the class-E amplifier is measured at 1.95 GHz. The active array achieves a peak-effective radiated power of 39.7 dBm, and PAE is over 50% within a 22.6% bandwidth (1.72-2.16 GHz). The AR is below 3 dB over a 27% bandwidth (1.72-2.26 GHz).
U2 - 10.1109/TMTT.2006.877437
DO - 10.1109/TMTT.2006.877437
M3 - Article
SN - 0018-9480
VL - 54
SP - 2910
EP - 2916
JO - IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
JF - IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
IS - 7
ER -