Multi-octave differential upconverter

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a differential amplifier configured to receive a multi-octave differential input signal and output an amplified multi-octave differential output signal, wherein the differential amplifier is configured to substantially reduce second order harmonic distortion of the amplified multi-octave differential output signal through common mode rejection;

a differential mixer configured to multiply the amplified multi-octave differential output signal with a local oscillator input signal and output an up-converted sub-octave differential output signal;

wherein the multi-octave differential input signal and the up-converted sub-octave differential output signal comprise a substantially same bandwidth.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a balun configured to convert the up-converted sub-octave differential output signal to a sub-octave single-ended output signal;

wherein the sub-octave single-ended output signal comprises a substantially same bandwidth as the multi-octave differential input signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the balun comprises a sub-octave balun.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein sub-octave balun is coupled with a sub-octave beam forming network;

wherein the sub-octave balun sends the sub-octave single-ended output signal to the sub-octave beam forming network.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the balun comprises one of a spiral balun, Marchand balun, or coaxial balun.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the differential mixer and the balun comprise an integral component.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the differential amplifier, the differential mixer, and the balun are configured as a monolithic microwave integrated circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the local oscillator input signal comprises a differential local oscillator input signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the local oscillator input signal comprises a single-ended local oscillator input signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the local oscillator input signal comprises a fixed frequency or tunable frequency range.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein differential mixer is coupled with a beam forming network, intermediate frequency (IF) processor, or demodulator;

wherein the differential mixer is configured to send the up-converted sub-octave differential output signal to the beam forming network or demodulator.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a differential antenna coupled with the differential amplifier;

wherein the differential antenna is configured to generate and send the multi-octave differential input signal to the differential amplifier;

wherein the differential antenna, the differential amplifier, and the differential mixer form a radio receiver.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the differential antenna, the differential amplifier, and the differential mixer comprise a full band differential upconversion push-pull configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a single-ended antenna coupled with a differential conversion component;

wherein the single-ended antenna is configured to generate a single-ended multi-octave output signal;

wherein the differential conversion component is configured to convert the single-ended multi-octave output signal into the multi-octave differential input signal;

wherein the single-ended antenna, the differential amplifier, and the differential mixer form a radio receiver.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the differential amplifier comprises a fully differential amplifier;

wherein the differential mixer comprises a fully differential mixer.

16. A method, comprising the steps of:

receiving a multi-octave differential input signal from a differential input source;

amplifying the multi-octave differential input signal with a fully differential amplifier to obtain an amplified multi-octave differential output signal;

upconverting the amplified multi-octave differential output signal to obtain an up-converted sub-octave differential output signal, wherein the multi-octave differential input signal and the up-converted sub-octave differential output signal comprise a substantially same bandwidth.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of upconverting the amplified multi-octave differential output signal to obtain the up-converted sub-octave differential output signal comprises the step of:

multiplying the amplified multi-octave differential output signal with a local oscillator input signal by a fully differential mixer.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising the step of:

converting the up-converted sub-octave differential output signal to a sub-octave single-ended output signal through employment of a sub-octave balun, wherein the sub-octave single-ended output signal comprises a substantially same bandwidth as the multi-octave differential input signal.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the step of:

sending the sub-octave singled-ended output signal to a sub-octave beam forming network.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of receiving the multi-octave differential input signal from the differential input source comprises the step of:

receiving the multi-octave differential input signal from a differential antenna.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a differential mixer configured to perform a frequency downconversion of a sub-octave input signal and output a multi-octave differential signal; and

a differential amplifier configured to amplify the multi-octave differential signal to produce an amplified differential signal;

wherein the sub-octave input signal, the multi-octave differential signal, and the amplified differential signal comprise a substantially same bandwidth.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising:

a modulator configured to upconvert an information-bearing signal on a high frequency carrier signal with sub-octave bandwidth to create the sub-octave input signal; and

a differential antenna;

wherein the differential amplifier is configured to send the amplified differential signal to the differential antenna for transmission of the amplified differential signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the modulator is configured to create a single-ended input signal that comprises the sub-octave input signal;

wherein the differential mixer comprises an input balun and a termination configured to convert the single-ended input signal to a differential input signal that comprises the sub-octave input signal;

wherein the differential mixer performs the frequency downconversion of the differential input signal and outputs the multi-octave differential signal.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the multi-octave differential signal comprises a frequency that is equal to a difference of a frequency of the sub-octave differential signal and a frequency of a local oscillator input.