Distributed Active Radiator Arrays for Efficient Doubling, Filtering, and Beam-forming

D.J. Seo, K. Sengupta and A. Hajimiri

Distributed Active Radiator (DAR) arrays are demonstrated as novel ways of harmonic generation, radiation, and filtration to generate power at frequencies above the cut-off frequency of a technology. As proofs-of-concept, 2×1 and 2×2 arrays of DAR with beam-forming are implemented on PCB, which are designed to oscillate at the fundamental frequency of 1.25GHz, while radiating (circularly-polarized) at the doubling frequency of 2.5GHz. The measured EIRP of 2×1 and 2×2 arrays are 7.46dBm and 12.96dBm, respectively, at 2.5GHz with a DC-to-radiated 2nd harmonic conversion of 0.8%. Almost 40° of beam-steering at 2.5GHz was measured in 2D space for the 2×2 array and more than 15dB suppression of the first and third harmonic compared to the desired second harmonic was measured in the radiated far-field.