Power combiners using meta-material composite right/left hand transmission line at infinite wavelength frequency
View Patent ↗Power combining methods and devices for tunnel diode oscillators using the infinite wavelength phenomenon observed in composite right/left-handed (CRLH) meta-material lines are described. One implementation utilizes a series combiner composed of zero degree lines, with each oscillator output port connected directly to the line and combined in-phase, to equally combine the power in phase. In a second implementation, a section of zero degree transmission line implements a stationary wave resonator with oscillators loosely coupled to the resonator, where the wave amplitude and phase are constant along the line. In one test of this second implementation a maximum power combining efficiency of 131% was obtained with the zero th order resonator with two tunnel diodes oscillators at 2 GHz.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a zero degree composite right/left hand (CRLH) transmission line (TL);
said transmission line having a plurality of ports for input and output; and
said ports for input are configured for receiving output signals from corresponding devices;
wherein said apparatus comprises a combiner formed with multiple ports for input and one port for output, or said apparatus comprises a divider formed with a single port for input and multiple ports for output;
wherein input signals received on said ports for input into said combiner are combined in-phase by said transmission line to generate an output signal on said port for output; and
wherein input signal received on said input port into said divider are divided equally and in-phase by said transmission line to generate output signals at each said port for output.
2. A power combiner, comprising:
a zero degree composite right/left hand (CRLH) transmission line (TL);
said transmission line having an output port;
said transmission line having a plurality of input ports;
each said input port configured for receiving output signals from corresponding input devices;
wherein input signals received on said input ports are combined in-phase by said transmission line to generate an output signal at said output port.
3. A power combiner as recited in claim 2 , wherein said signals are received from a device selected from the group of RF devices consisting of: oscillators, tunnel diode oscillators, antennas, signal amplifiers, FET devices, and integrated circuits.
4. A power combiner as recited in claim 2 , wherein said transmission line has an electrical length equivalent to an infinitely long wavelength.
5. A power combiner as recited in claim 2 , wherein said CRLH transmission line comprises lumped capacitance and inductance.
6. A power combiner as recited in claim 2 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured with printed microstrip elements.
7. A power combiner as recited in claim 2 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured with microstrip, stripline, CPW or LTCC technologies.
8. A power combiner as recited in claim 2 , wherein said output port is impedance matched to fifty ohms.
9. A power combiner as recited in claim 2 , wherein each said input port is impedance matched to a corresponding oscillator.
10. A power combiner as recited in claim 2 , further comprising:
an impedance matching transformer coupled to each said input port;
wherein each said transformer is configured having a length of one-quarter wavelength corresponding to the output frequency of an associated oscillator.
11. A power combiner as recited in claim 2 , wherein said transmission line comprises a meta-material.
12. A power combiner, comprising:
a composite right/left hand (CRLH) transmission line (TL) configured as a zeroeth order resonator;
said transmission line having an open circuited first end;
said transmission line having a loosely-coupled output port at a second end;
said transmission line having a plurality of loosely-coupled input ports; and
each said input port configured for receiving output signals from corresponding devices;
wherein input signals received on said input ports are combined in-phase by said transmission line to generate an output signal at said output port.
13. A power combiner as recited in claim 12 , wherein said signals are received from a device selected from the group of RF devices consisting of: oscillators, tunnel diode oscillators, antennas, signal amplifiers, FET devices, and integrated circuits.
14. A power combiner as recited in claim 12 , wherein said transmission line has an electrical length equivalent to an infinitely long wavelength.
15. A power combiner as recited in claim 12 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is built using lumped capacitance and inductance.
16. A power combiner as recited in claim 12 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured with printed microstrip elements.
17. A power combiner as recited in claim 12 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured with microstrip, stripline, CPW or LTCC technologies.
18. A power combiner as recited in claim 12 , wherein said output port is impedance matched to fifty ohms.
19. A power combiner as recited in claim 12 , wherein each said input port is impedance matched to a corresponding oscillator.
20. A power combiner as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:
an impedance matching transformer coupled to each said input port;
wherein each said transformer is configured having a length of one-quarter wavelength corresponding to the output frequency of an associated oscillator.
21. A power combiner as recited in claim 12 , wherein said transmission line comprises a meta-material.
22. A power divider, comprising:
a composite right/left hand (CRLH) transmission line (TL);
said transmission line having an input port;
said transmission line having a plurality of output ports;
each said output port configured for outputting signals to corresponding devices;
wherein an input signal received on said input port is divided equally and in-phase by said transmission line to generate output signals at each said output port.
23. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , wherein said input signal is received from a device selected from the group of RF devices consisting of: an oscillator, tunnel diode oscillator, antenna, signal amplifier, FET device, and integrated circuit.
24. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , wherein said output signals are coupled to devices selected from the group of RF devices consisting of: antenna arrays, clock synchronization circuits, and radio receiver circuits.
25. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , wherein said transmission line has an electrical length equivalent to an infinitely long wavelength.
26. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , wherein said CRLH transmission line comprises lumped capacitance and inductance.
27. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured with printed microstrip elements.
28. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured with microstrip, stripline, CPW or LTCC technologies.
29. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , wherein said input port is impedance matched to fifty ohms.
30. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , wherein each said output port is impedance matched to a corresponding output device.
31. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , further comprising:
an impedance matching transformer coupled to each said output port;
wherein each said transformer is configured having a length of one-quarter wavelength corresponding to the output frequency of an associated device.
32. A power divider as recited in claim 22 , wherein said transmission line comprises a meta-material.
33. A power divider, comprising:
a composite right/left hand (CRLH) transmission line (TL) configured as a zeroeth order resonator;
said transmission line having an open circuited first end;
said transmission line having a loosely-coupled input port at a second end;
said transmission line having a plurality of loosely-coupled output ports; and
said input port configured for receiving an output signal from a device;
wherein an input signal received on said input port is divided equally and in-phase by said transmission line to generate output signals at said output ports.
34. A power divider as recited in claim 33 , wherein said signals are received from a device selected from the group of RF devices consisting of: oscillators, tunnel diode oscillators, antennas, signal amplifiers, FET devices, and integrated circuits.
35. A power divider as recited in claim 33 , wherein said output signals are coupled to devices selected from the group of RF devices consisting of: antenna arrays, clock synchronization circuits, and radio receiver circuits.
36. A power divider as recited in claim 33 , wherein said transmission line has an electrical length equivalent to an infinitely long wavelength.
37. A power divider as recited in claim 33 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is built using lumped capacitance and inductance.
38. A power divider as recited in claim 33 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured with printed microstrip elements.
39. A power divider as recited in claim 33 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured with microstrip, stripline, CPW or LTCC technologies.
40. A power divider as recited in claim 33 , wherein said input port is impedance matched to fifty ohms.
41. A power divider as recited in claim 33 , wherein each of said output ports is impedance matched to a corresponding device.
42. A power divider as recited in claim 33 , further comprising:
an impedance matching transformer coupled to each said output port;
wherein each said transformer is configured having a length of one-quarter wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency of an associated device.
43. A power combiner as recited in claim 33 , wherein said transmission line comprises a meta-material.
44. A power divider, comprising:
a zero degree composite right/left hand (CRLH) transmission line (TL) configured as a stationary wave resonator; and
a plurality of output ports for coupling to corresponding output signals;
said output port connection of said TL is controlled by a switch;
wherein said input signal is divided equally and in-phase among connected output ports.
45. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said signal is received from a device selected from the group of RF devices consisting of: oscillators, tunnel diode oscillators, antennas, signal amplifiers, FET devices, and integrated circuits.
46. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said output signals are coupled to devices selected from the group of RF devices consisting of: antenna arrays, clock synchronization circuits, and radio receiver circuits.
47. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said transmission line has an electrical length equivalent to an infinitely long wavelength.
48. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is built using lumped capacitance and inductance.
49. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured having printed microstrip elements.
50. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said CRLH transmission line is configured with microstrip, stripline, CPW or LTCC technologies.
51. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said input port is impedance matched to fifty ohms.
52. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein each said output port is impedance matched to an associated device.
53. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , further comprising:
an impedance matching transformer coupled to each said output port;
wherein each said transformer is configured having a length of one-quarter wavelength corresponding to the output frequency of an associated output device.
54. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said transmission line comprises a meta-material.
55. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said switch is a diode.
56. A power divider as recited in claim 44 , wherein said switch is a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMs) device.