Dynamic supply modulation power amplifier architecture for millimeter wave applications

A supply modulation power amplifier network, comprising:

• a plurality of phase shifters coupled to a power input port;
• a plurality of power amplifiers coupled to respective power output ports;
• a plurality of variable gain amplifiers coupled to outputs of the plurality of phase shifters and to inputs to the plurality of power amplifiers and configured to supply dynamically varying input power to the plurality of power amplifiers;
• a first look-up table coupled to the plurality of variable gain amplifiers and configured to vary a power output of the plurality of variable gain amplifiers;
• and
• a second look-up table coupled to the plurality of power amplifiers and configured to control the plurality of power amplifiers, wherein each of the plurality of power amplifiers is supply modulated by active drain voltage modulation controlled by the second look-up table and variable input power fed from the plurality of variable gain amplifiers.

An analog beamforming antenna for millimeter wave applications, comprising:

• a superelement antenna array layer comprising an array of superelements, wherein each superelement in the array of superelements includes a coupling aperture oriented at a predetermined non-orthogonal angle relative to a plurality of radiating slots for radiating a transmission signal;
• a power division layer configured to serve as a feed to the superelement antenna array layer, the power division layer comprising:
• a plurality of phase control elements configured to apply different phase shifts to transmission signals propagating to the superelement antenna array layer, each phase control element comprising an amplifier network that includes a plurality of variable gain amplifiers coupled to a plurality of phase shifters and a plurality of power amplifiers coupled to the plurality of variable gain amplifiers, wherein the plurality of variable gain amplifiers is controlled by a first look-up table and the plurality of power amplifiers is controlled by a second look-up table;
• and
• a top layer disposed on the superelement antenna array layer.