Analytical Modeling and Design of High-Efficiency Input-Output Harmonic Tuned Microwave Power Amplifiers

Date
2020-08-13
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Abstract
High efficiency power amplifier (PA) is an integral part of an efficient radio frequency (RF) transmitting system design. To enable modern and future wireless communication systems, the quest for efficient, wideband, and linear PA design techniques is ongoing. To cope with the stringent and contrasting requirements of modern wireless communication systems, it is important to consider the practical impairments like device nonlinearity, mismatch, mutual coupling, and channel temperature for high efficiency PA modeling, design, and reliable performance.In this thesis, power amplifier design methodologies have been comprehensively investigated by exploring and exploiting the input and output nonlinearities of the device. In particular, the impact of input nonlinearity on the PA performance is addressed comprehensively, and the efficiency minima phenomenon due to the input and output nonlinearity is demystified. As such, PA design methodologies for high efficiency broadband applications are proposed and verified with low/high power, and/or micro-wave/mm-wave applications. In addition to high efficiency PA design, linearity and output power performance are also investigated. A new input second harmonic design space is proposed in this thesis identifying trade-offs between PA efficiency and linearity performance. This approach led to a new PA topology designated as Class iF-1.In addition, the behavior of a PA and its linearizability by digital pre-distortion (DPD) technique under output mismatch and/or mutual coupling in a modern 5G wireless communication system is studied in this thesis. It has been observed that the PA linearizability is severely impacted by the PA-Antenna interface due to mismatch and mutual coupling. In this context, a new reflection aware unified PA behavioral modeling, and linearization approach is proposed under mismatch and mutual coupling. The proposed modeling technique and linearization approach is verified with a Class AB and a Doherty PA under wide range of output mismatch and/or mutual coupling conditions. Such robust linearization performance under diverse output mismatch and mutual coupling conditions is highly desirable for modern and future communication systems, which are subject to undergoing rapid fluctuations in antenna matching and cross-coupling conditions.
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Keywords
Power Amplifier, GaN, LDMOS, Doherty, 5G, Telecommunication, Waveform Engineering, Harmonic Engineering
Citation
Dhar, S. K. (2020). Analytical Modeling and Design of High-Efficiency Input-Output Harmonic Tuned Microwave Power Amplifiers (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.