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US 12,587,159 B1Granted
Nonlinear transmission line (NLTL) with controllable harmonic output power spectrum
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Systems Corporation
InventorsDah-Weih Duan, Mansoor K. Siddiqui, Stephane Larouche, Kenneth F. Sato, Kwok K. Loi, Minhdao D. Truong, Wesley W. Chan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nonlinear transmission line (NLTL) comprises a plurality of interconnected transmission line cells, each including a shunt path and a transmission line length wherein the shunt path includes a varactor diode and an inductor coupled in series with the varactor diode. A shunt path transmission line may be coupled in the shunt path and one or more filters may be coupled to an input and/or an output of the NLTL.
Claims26
A nonlinear transmission line (NLTL), comprising:
- a plurality of transmission line cells interconnected between an input and an output, each transmission line cell including a shunt path coupled to a main transmission line portion wherein the shunt path includes a shunt transmission line portion, a varactor diode coupled in series with the shunt transmission line portion, and an inductor coupled in series with the varactor diode wherein the NLTL is operable to conduct at least one frequency component through the NLTL;
- and
- at least one of a low-pass filter directly coupled to the input and a high-pass filter directly coupled to the output wherein the at least one of the low-pass filter and the high-pass filter is operable to reflect the at least one frequency component away from at least one of the input and the output and into the NLTL.
A nonlinear transmission line (NLTL), comprising:
- a plurality of transmission line cells interconnected between an input and an output, each transmission line cell including a shunt path coupled to a main transmission line portion wherein the shunt path includes a shunt transmission line portion, a varactor diode coupled in series with the shunt transmission line portion, and an inductor coupled in series with the varactor diode;
- and
- at least one of a low-pass filter directly coupled to the input and a high-pass filter directly coupled to the output;
- wherein the interconnected transmission line cells are carried by a substrate to form a chip;
- and
- wherein a dielectric layer is disposed on a surface of the substrate and each shunt path includes an inductor having a first portion disposed on the dielectric layer and a second portion spaced from the dielectric layer and the substrate to form an air-bridged portion.
3 more elements
A nonlinear transmission line (NLTL), comprising:
- a plurality of transmission line cells interconnected between an input and an output, wherein each transmission line cell includes a shunt path coupled to a main transmission line portion, wherein the shunt path includes a shunt transmission line, a varactor diode coupled in series with the shunt transmission line, and an inductor coupled in series with the varactor diode, and wherein at least some of the shunt transmission lines have different impedances than remaining shunt transmission line portions wherein the NLTL is operable to conduct at least one frequency component through the NLTL;
- a low-pass filter directly coupled to the input;
- and
- a high-pass filter coupled to the output;
- wherein each of the low-pass filter and the high-pass filter is operable to reflect the at least one frequency component away from the input and the output, respectively, and into the NLTL.
2 more elements
A nonlinear transmission line (NLTL), comprising:
- a plurality of transmission line cells interconnected between an input and an output, wherein each transmission line cell includes a shunt path coupled to a main transmission line portion, wherein the shunt path includes a shunt transmission line, a varactor diode coupled in series with the shunt transmission line, and an inductor coupled in series with the varactor diode, and wherein at least some of the shunt transmission lines have different impedances than remaining shunt transmission line portions;
- a low-pass filter directly coupled to the input;
- and
- a high-pass filter coupled to the output;
- wherein the interconnected transmission line cells are carried by a substrate to form a chip, wherein a dielectric layer is disposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein each inductor includes a first portion disposed on the dielectric layer and a second portion spaced above the dielectric layer and the substrate, and wherein an end of each inductor is coupled by a via to a ground plane of the chip.
2 more elements
A nonlinear transmission line (NLTL), comprising:
- a plurality of transmission line cells interconnected between an input and an output, wherein each transmission line cell includes a shunt path coupled to a main transmission line portion having an impedance wherein the shunt path includes a shunt transmission line portion having an impedance, a varactor diode coupled in series with the shunt transmission line portion, and an inductor coupled in series with the varactor diode, wherein at least some of the varactor diodes are of a different size than remaining varactor diodes, wherein at least some of the impedances of the main transmission line portions are different than the impedances of remaining main transmission line portions, wherein the impedance of at least one of the shunt transmission line portions is different than the impedances of other shunt transmission line portions, and at least one of the inductors has an impedance different than impedances of other inductors;
- wherein at least one of a low-pass filter is coupled to the input and a high-pass filter is coupled to the output;
- and
- wherein the interconnected transmission line cells are carried by a substrate to form a chip, wherein a dielectric layer is disposed on a surface of the substrate, and wherein each inductor includes a first portion disposed on the dielectric layer and a second portion spaced from the dielectric layer and the substrate.
1 more element
A nonlinear transmission line (NLTL), comprising:
- a plurality of transmission line cells interconnected between an input and an output, each transmission line cell including a shunt path coupled to a main transmission line portion wherein the main transmission line portions have at least one of varying lengths and varying widths;
- wherein the interconnected transmission line cells are carried by a substrate to form a chip;
- and
- wherein a dielectric layer is disposed on a surface of the substrate and each shunt path includes an inductor having a first portion disposed on the dielectric layer and a second portion spaced from the dielectric layer and the substrate to form an air-bridged portion.
1 more element
A nonlinear transmission line (NLTL), comprising:
- a plurality of transmission line cells interconnected between an input and an output, each transmission line cell including a shunt path coupled to a main transmission line portion wherein the shunt path includes a shunt transmission line portion, a varactor diode coupled in series with the shunt transmission line portion, and an inductor coupled in series with the varactor diode;
- and
- at least one of a low-pass filter coupled to the input and a high-pass filter coupled to the output;
- wherein the interconnected transmission line cells are carried by a substrate to form a chip;
- and
- wherein a dielectric layer is disposed on a surface of the substrate and each shunt path includes an inductor having a first portion disposed on the dielectric layer and a second portion spaced from the dielectric layer and the substrate to form an air-bridged portion.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.