Pub Date : 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1109/JMW.2025.3614556
Subash Khanal;Adrian Tang;Sven Van Berkel;Jacob Kooi;Choonsup Lee;Alain E. Maestrini;Maria Alonso Del Pino;Theodore Reck;Cecile Jung-Kubiak;Jose V. Siles;Edwin A. Bergin;Mathieu Choukroun;Stephen Smith;Mau-Chung Frank Chang;Goutam Chattopadhyay
The search for extraterrestrial bio-signatures and the origin of Earth’s water remain two of the most compelling questions in planetary science. While no direct evidence of life beyond Earth has been found, water is a key prerequisite for life, and tracing its presence throughout the solar system may provide vital clues. A leading theory suggests that Earth’s water may have originated from comets, supported by limited water isotopic measurements that match Earth’s ocean water. However, more data from a larger sample of comets is needed to validate this theory. Traditional sub-millimeter wave spectrometers, capable of such measurements, are often too large and power-intensive for small spacecraft platforms. To address this, we present WHATSUP—a next-generation, ultra-compact, low-power, room-temperature submillimeter-wave (500-600 GHz) spectrometer—designed primarily for CubeSat and SmallSat platforms, though equally well-suited for a range of other missions. WHATSUP utilizes advances in CMOS system-on-chip electronics, innovative low profile and low mass silicon lens antenna, Micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS)-based THz switching, and a novel programmable calibration load. Together, these innovations deliver a highly integrated system with a total mass of only 2 kg and power consumption under 7 W, which is a substantial improvement over previous submillimeter-wave instruments. This enables affordable, high-frequency spectral observations from multiple low-cost missions, potentially revolutionizing how isotopic studies of cometary water are conducted and opening new pathways for outer solar system exploration. WHATSUP instrument was flown on the NASA Hand Launch Payload (HLP) ballooncraft and performed atmospheric soundings across Texas, USA in July 2023.
{"title":"Water Hunting Advanced Terahertz Spectrometer on an Ultra-Small Platform (WHATSUP)","authors":"Subash Khanal;Adrian Tang;Sven Van Berkel;Jacob Kooi;Choonsup Lee;Alain E. Maestrini;Maria Alonso Del Pino;Theodore Reck;Cecile Jung-Kubiak;Jose V. Siles;Edwin A. Bergin;Mathieu Choukroun;Stephen Smith;Mau-Chung Frank Chang;Goutam Chattopadhyay","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3614556","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3614556","url":null,"abstract":"The search for extraterrestrial bio-signatures and the origin of Earth’s water remain two of the most compelling questions in planetary science. While no direct evidence of life beyond Earth has been found, water is a key prerequisite for life, and tracing its presence throughout the solar system may provide vital clues. A leading theory suggests that Earth’s water may have originated from comets, supported by limited water isotopic measurements that match Earth’s ocean water. However, more data from a larger sample of comets is needed to validate this theory. Traditional sub-millimeter wave spectrometers, capable of such measurements, are often too large and power-intensive for small spacecraft platforms. To address this, we present WHATSUP—a next-generation, ultra-compact, low-power, room-temperature submillimeter-wave (500-600 GHz) spectrometer—designed primarily for CubeSat and SmallSat platforms, though equally well-suited for a range of other missions. WHATSUP utilizes advances in CMOS system-on-chip electronics, innovative low profile and low mass silicon lens antenna, Micro-electro mechanical system (MEMS)-based THz switching, and a novel programmable calibration load. Together, these innovations deliver a highly integrated system with a total mass of only 2 kg and power consumption under 7 W, which is a substantial improvement over previous submillimeter-wave instruments. This enables affordable, high-frequency spectral observations from multiple low-cost missions, potentially revolutionizing how isotopic studies of cometary water are conducted and opening new pathways for outer solar system exploration. WHATSUP instrument was flown on the NASA Hand Launch Payload (HLP) ballooncraft and performed atmospheric soundings across Texas, USA in July 2023.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1235-1252"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11199881","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Radially periodic Bessel-beam launchers are typically fed with coaxial probes, as they provide a simple and effective means to obtain TM-polarized Bessel beams. However, as the frequency increases, coaxial feeders become increasingly expensive and fragile. Therefore, the realization of Bessel-beam launchers at (sub)millimeter-wave frequencies calls for alternative technologies. To illustrate this challenge and propose an effective solution, an E-band (81–86 GHz), radially periodic, leaky-wave Bessel-beam launcher is designed and experimentally validated in this work. The device is realized using a grounded dielectric slab with an annular metal strip grating on top and is fed through a waveguide mode converter. Specifically, the input fundamental mode of a standard rectangular waveguide is converted into the higher-order TM$_{01}$ mode of a circular waveguide, which feeds the launcher, thereby generating a TM-polarized Bessel beam. Full-wave and measurement results show impressive agreement with those theoretically predicted by an established leaky-wave approach.
{"title":"Design and Experimental Validation of an E-Band Wideband Bessel-Beam Launcher on Quartz","authors":"Edoardo Negri;Jérôme Taillieu;Walter Fuscaldo;Malo Robin;Xavier Morvan;Olivier De Sagazan;Paolo Burghignoli;Alessandro Galli;David GonzÁlez-ovejero","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3610404","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3610404","url":null,"abstract":"Radially periodic Bessel-beam launchers are typically fed with coaxial probes, as they provide a simple and effective means to obtain TM-polarized Bessel beams. However, as the frequency increases, coaxial feeders become increasingly expensive and fragile. Therefore, the realization of Bessel-beam launchers at (sub)millimeter-wave frequencies calls for alternative technologies. To illustrate this challenge and propose an effective solution, an E-band (81–86 GHz), radially periodic, leaky-wave Bessel-beam launcher is designed and experimentally validated in this work. The device is realized using a grounded dielectric slab with an annular metal strip grating on top and is fed through a waveguide mode converter. Specifically, the input fundamental mode of a standard rectangular waveguide is converted into the higher-order TM<inline-formula><tex-math>$_{01}$</tex-math></inline-formula> mode of a circular waveguide, which feeds the launcher, thereby generating a TM-polarized Bessel beam. Full-wave and measurement results show impressive agreement with those theoretically predicted by an established leaky-wave approach.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1329-1338"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11197868","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-09DOI: 10.1109/JMW.2025.3612044
Liuxiao Yang;Hongqiang Wang;Yang Zeng;Wei Liu;Zhian Yuan;Bin Deng
Terahertz (THz) inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) demonstrates unique advantages in space target imaging, enabling submillimeter-level high-resolution imaging and providing crucial technical support for all-weather space situational awareness (SSA). However, conventional fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based imaging methods exhibit significant limitations in highly dynamic scenarios, where imaging quality deteriorates substantially. To address these challenges, this study innovatively proposes a compressed sensing (CS) imaging framework based on the adaptive alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). The framework features several key technical innovations: First, to address the masking effect of strong scattering points in space targets, a novel sidelobe suppression constraint mechanism is designed to effectively suppress noise and sidelobe interference while preserving weak scattering features. Second, dynamic adjustment of the $l_{1}$ regularization weight significantly mitigates image distortion caused by traditional optimization with fixed regularization parameters. Notably, for the sensitivity issue of regularization parameters across different imaging scenarios, an adaptive parameter optimization strategy based on line search is proposed, providing theoretical guarantees for high-precision imaging. At the implementation level, this solution innovatively transforms the ISAR imaging problem into a two-dimensional matrix optimization model, substantially reducing memory requirements while significantly improving computational efficiency. Extensive simulations and experimental measurements demonstrate that compared to state-of-the-art methods, the proposed approach achieves approximately $-16.2,$dB and $-15.42,$dB improvement in peak sidelobe ratio (PSLR) and integrated sidelobe ratio (ISLR) in both range and azimuth directions, respectively, along with over 9.21% reduction in image entropy. These performance advantages lead to 11$%$ improvements in target component detection confidence in complex environments, providing important technical references for next-generation space surveillance radar systems.
{"title":"Sidelobe Suppression for High-Resolution Terahertz ISAR Imaging of Space Targets Based on ADMM","authors":"Liuxiao Yang;Hongqiang Wang;Yang Zeng;Wei Liu;Zhian Yuan;Bin Deng","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3612044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3612044","url":null,"abstract":"Terahertz (THz) inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) demonstrates unique advantages in space target imaging, enabling submillimeter-level high-resolution imaging and providing crucial technical support for all-weather space situational awareness (SSA). However, conventional fast Fourier transform (FFT)-based imaging methods exhibit significant limitations in highly dynamic scenarios, where imaging quality deteriorates substantially. To address these challenges, this study innovatively proposes a compressed sensing (CS) imaging framework based on the adaptive alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). The framework features several key technical innovations: First, to address the masking effect of strong scattering points in space targets, a novel sidelobe suppression constraint mechanism is designed to effectively suppress noise and sidelobe interference while preserving weak scattering features. Second, dynamic adjustment of the <inline-formula><tex-math>$l_{1}$</tex-math></inline-formula> regularization weight significantly mitigates image distortion caused by traditional optimization with fixed regularization parameters. Notably, for the sensitivity issue of regularization parameters across different imaging scenarios, an adaptive parameter optimization strategy based on line search is proposed, providing theoretical guarantees for high-precision imaging. At the implementation level, this solution innovatively transforms the ISAR imaging problem into a two-dimensional matrix optimization model, substantially reducing memory requirements while significantly improving computational efficiency. Extensive simulations and experimental measurements demonstrate that compared to state-of-the-art methods, the proposed approach achieves approximately <inline-formula><tex-math>$-16.2,$</tex-math></inline-formula>dB and <inline-formula><tex-math>$-15.42,$</tex-math></inline-formula>dB improvement in peak sidelobe ratio (PSLR) and integrated sidelobe ratio (ISLR) in both range and azimuth directions, respectively, along with over 9.21% reduction in image entropy. These performance advantages lead to 11<inline-formula><tex-math>$%$</tex-math></inline-formula> improvements in target component detection confidence in complex environments, providing important technical references for next-generation space surveillance radar systems.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1260-1270"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11197869","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1109/JMW.2025.3615179
Hyunsoo Kim;Jaeyong Lee;Changkun Park
This paper presents the differential-to-single-ended load-modulated (DISEL)-power amplifier, a transformer-based dual-mode Ka-band CMOS power amplifier designed to enhance power-added efficiency (PAE) under output back-off conditions while maintaining high output power. Implemented in a 65-nm RFCMOS process, the DISEL-power amplifier employs a reconfigurable architecture that switches between differential and single-ended modes according to output power levels without requiring complex impedance matching networks. In high-power mode, the power amplifier operates as a fully differential three-stacked FET structure to deliver high output power, while in low-power mode, one differential branch is selectively deactivated to increase the load impedance seen by the active path, thereby improving PAE under output back-off conditions while maintaining linearity. Measurement results with a 28.0 GHz continuous wave input demonstrate a saturated output power exceeding 23.1 dBm and a peak PAE of 28.5% in high-power mode. Furthermore, at a 10 dB output back-off point relative to the high-power mode, the low-power mode achieves a 2.3 percentage point improvement in PAE. These results verify that the proposed DISEL-power amplifier structure can maintain high output power while improving PAE under output back-off conditions.
{"title":"A Transformer-Based Dual-Mode Ka-Band CMOS Power Amplifier With Enhanced Back-Off Efficiency","authors":"Hyunsoo Kim;Jaeyong Lee;Changkun Park","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3615179","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3615179","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents the differential-to-single-ended load-modulated (DISEL)-power amplifier, a transformer-based dual-mode Ka-band CMOS power amplifier designed to enhance power-added efficiency (PAE) under output back-off conditions while maintaining high output power. Implemented in a 65-nm RFCMOS process, the DISEL-power amplifier employs a reconfigurable architecture that switches between differential and single-ended modes according to output power levels without requiring complex impedance matching networks. In high-power mode, the power amplifier operates as a fully differential three-stacked FET structure to deliver high output power, while in low-power mode, one differential branch is selectively deactivated to increase the load impedance seen by the active path, thereby improving PAE under output back-off conditions while maintaining linearity. Measurement results with a 28.0 GHz continuous wave input demonstrate a saturated output power exceeding 23.1 dBm and a peak PAE of 28.5% in high-power mode. Furthermore, at a 10 dB output back-off point relative to the high-power mode, the low-power mode achieves a 2.3 percentage point improvement in PAE. These results verify that the proposed DISEL-power amplifier structure can maintain high output power while improving PAE under output back-off conditions.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1317-1328"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11196900","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper presents an overview of the passive remote sensing instruments and missions in the millimeter (30-300 GHz) and sub-millimeter wave domain (300 GHz-3 THz) which provided successfully key weather data of the Earth’s atmosphere, in-depth scientific observations of planets’ and comets’ atmospheres over the last 20 years, and the underlying technologies which allows for these instruments to demonstrate state-of-the-art sensitivities, accuracies and spectral resolutions. A review of the key constitutive RF technologies and receiver building blocks is performed, as well as technological prospects and on-going developments required for future space passive remote sensing missions, in the light of “New Space” approach, short project lifetime cycles, with the use of disruptive technologies to make leapfrogs in this very dynamic field.
{"title":"Millimeter- and Submillimeter-Wave Technologies for Space Passive Remote Sensing Instruments","authors":"Bertrand Thomas;Petri Piironen;David Cuadrado-Calle;Enrico Lia;Natanael Ayllon","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3605998","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3605998","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents an overview of the passive remote sensing instruments and missions in the millimeter (30-300 GHz) and sub-millimeter wave domain (300 GHz-3 THz) which provided successfully key weather data of the Earth’s atmosphere, in-depth scientific observations of planets’ and comets’ atmospheres over the last 20 years, and the underlying technologies which allows for these instruments to demonstrate state-of-the-art sensitivities, accuracies and spectral resolutions. A review of the key constitutive RF technologies and receiver building blocks is performed, as well as technological prospects and on-going developments required for future space passive remote sensing missions, in the light of “New Space” approach, short project lifetime cycles, with the use of disruptive technologies to make leapfrogs in this very dynamic field.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1212-1234"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11194280","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1109/JMW.2025.3612894
Zhao Li;Shaohua Zhou
An analytical model for GaN HEMTs using Gaussian Function is presented in this paper. The expression proposed is simple and can be differentiated into any higher order. Compared with the Curtice-type and Angelov-type models, the proposed model has the characteristics of high accuracy and fast modeling speed. Taking the modeling results of Ids1 as an example, the accuracy of the proposed analytical model is 1.5 times and 9.2 times higher than the results of the Modified-Curtice and Modified-Angelov model, respectively, while the corresponding modeling time is shortened by 2.3 times. The small- and large- signal validation illustrates the effectiveness of the model.
{"title":"An Analytical Model for GaN HEMTs by Using Gaussian Function","authors":"Zhao Li;Shaohua Zhou","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3612894","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3612894","url":null,"abstract":"An analytical model for GaN HEMTs using Gaussian Function is presented in this paper. The expression proposed is simple and can be differentiated into any higher order. Compared with the Curtice-type and Angelov-type models, the proposed model has the characteristics of high accuracy and fast modeling speed. Taking the modeling results of Ids1 as an example, the accuracy of the proposed analytical model is 1.5 times and 9.2 times higher than the results of the Modified-Curtice and Modified-Angelov model, respectively, while the corresponding modeling time is shortened by 2.3 times. The small- and large- signal validation illustrates the effectiveness of the model.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1349-1357"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11192294","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-02DOI: 10.1109/JMW.2025.3610360
Ken B. Cooper;Jose V. Siles;Juan M. Socuellamos;Choonsup Lee;Robert H. Lin;Uriel S. Escobar;Robert J. Dengler;Raquel Rodriguez Monje
We present the design and testing of a >400 mW solid-state G-band transmitter developed for cloud radar applications. The source relies on GaAs on-chip power-combined Schottky diode frequency-triplers operating over a bandwidth that includes the 238–240 GHz span allocated for radar. High continuous-wave output power is achieved with additional four-way waveguide power combining, for a total of eight Schottky diode frequency-tripler circuits. This device achieves a conversion efficiency of ∼15% near 240 GHz, and was measured to have an 8% fractional bandwidth spanning 235–255 GHz. The source has been integrated into the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s CloudCube radar instrument for profiling clouds and drizzle to reveal aspects of their microphysics and dynamics.
{"title":"A Power-Combined 240 GHz Frequency-Multiplier Source for Cloud Radar Applications","authors":"Ken B. Cooper;Jose V. Siles;Juan M. Socuellamos;Choonsup Lee;Robert H. Lin;Uriel S. Escobar;Robert J. Dengler;Raquel Rodriguez Monje","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3610360","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3610360","url":null,"abstract":"We present the design and testing of a >400 mW solid-state G-band transmitter developed for cloud radar applications. The source relies on GaAs on-chip power-combined Schottky diode frequency-triplers operating over a bandwidth that includes the 238–240 GHz span allocated for radar. High continuous-wave output power is achieved with additional four-way waveguide power combining, for a total of eight Schottky diode frequency-tripler circuits. This device achieves a conversion efficiency of ∼15% near 240 GHz, and was measured to have an 8% fractional bandwidth spanning 235–255 GHz. The source has been integrated into the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s CloudCube radar instrument for profiling clouds and drizzle to reveal aspects of their microphysics and dynamics.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1253-1259"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11190465","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1109/JMW.2025.3610923
Martin Sjödin;Oskar Talcoth;Haojie Chang;Han Zhou;Kristoffer Andersson
Machine-learning (ML) assisted microwave circuit design is an interesting complement to traditional topology-based design since it opens up previously unexplored design spaces that in some cases may offer better performance, or similar performance with a different form factor. A key part is the circuit model, i.e., the set of discrete building blocks used to create circuits. In the work published so far circuit models encompassed a single element type in the form of metal pixels. In this paper we propose a circuit model with additional elements that facilitates diagonal connections and provides higher robustness to variations in the manufacturing process. A comparison with the pixel model shows that the new model results in more accurate ML-models for S-parameter prediction with a 9.5% reduction in root mean-square error (RMSE) on the testset, which translates to more accurate results for circuit synthetization. In addition, we demonstrate that circuits built with the new model has a higher tolerance to manufacturing imperfections, with 33% smaller RMSE penalty with respect to the original S-parameters when adding a width perturbation of 50 $mu$m to diagonal connections, and 50/40% smaller RMSE penalty when shrinking/expanding the size of elements forming diagonal connections with 2.5% . We also use both the pixel model and the newly proposed model to design low-pass filters with competitive performance.
{"title":"Comparison of Circuit Models for ML-Assisted Microwave Circuit Design","authors":"Martin Sjödin;Oskar Talcoth;Haojie Chang;Han Zhou;Kristoffer Andersson","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3610923","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3610923","url":null,"abstract":"Machine-learning (ML) assisted microwave circuit design is an interesting complement to traditional topology-based design since it opens up previously unexplored design spaces that in some cases may offer better performance, or similar performance with a different form factor. A key part is the circuit model, i.e., the set of discrete building blocks used to create circuits. In the work published so far circuit models encompassed a single element type in the form of metal pixels. In this paper we propose a circuit model with additional elements that facilitates diagonal connections and provides higher robustness to variations in the manufacturing process. A comparison with the pixel model shows that the new model results in more accurate ML-models for S-parameter prediction with a 9.5% reduction in root mean-square error (RMSE) on the testset, which translates to more accurate results for circuit synthetization. In addition, we demonstrate that circuits built with the new model has a higher tolerance to manufacturing imperfections, with 33% smaller RMSE penalty with respect to the original S-parameters when adding a width perturbation of 50 <inline-formula><tex-math>$mu$</tex-math></inline-formula>m to diagonal connections, and 50/40% smaller RMSE penalty when shrinking/expanding the size of elements forming diagonal connections with 2.5% . We also use both the pixel model and the newly proposed model to design low-pass filters with competitive performance.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1358-1369"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11184640","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1109/JMW.2025.3606571
Sitong Mu;Mahmoud Wagih
The Internet of Things (IoT) increases the demand for battery-less devices, driving the development of Radio Frequency (RF) energy harvesting and wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies, with RF identification (RFID) being an exemplar of mass-manufacturable RF-powered devices. RF-DC rectifiers are the core enabler, and also bottleneck, for sensitive, long-range wireless-powered systems. Unlike discrete-component rectifiers, fully-integrated RFIC and MMIC rectifiers offer advantages in form factor, scalability, and system-on-chip (SoC) co-integration capabilities. Through SoC integration, WPT can be adopted more broadly in applications such as biomedical implants, wearable sensors, and IoT nodes. This comprehensive review covers CMOS-based integrated rectifier designs, with a roadmap to SoC and system integration from dies, packages, to systems. Rectifier topologies are categorized into three major groups: voltage doublers, cross-coupled rectifiers, and reversed amplifier-inspired architectures, with the self-compensation techniques further discussed as possible performance enhancement strategies. A dataset of over 120 published rectifiers is analyzed to extract performance trends over frequency, process node, power sensitivity, efficiency, and circuit integration approaches. In addition, practical applications in both IoT systems and RFID-based platforms are examined to demonstrate the functional advantages of integration. The review highlights the evolution of rectifier performance metrics over time and provides insights into trade-offs among efficiency, sensitivity, and power dynamic range. As energy-autonomous electronics continue to expand across domains, integrated rectifiers are expected to remain a foundational building block in future low-power, wireless-powered systems.
{"title":"Integrated RF Energy Harvesting and Power Conversion Circuits: A Review and Roadmap for Wireless-Powered System-on-Chip (SoCs)","authors":"Sitong Mu;Mahmoud Wagih","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3606571","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3606571","url":null,"abstract":"The Internet of Things (IoT) increases the demand for battery-less devices, driving the development of Radio Frequency (RF) energy harvesting and wireless power transfer (WPT) technologies, with RF identification (RFID) being an exemplar of mass-manufacturable RF-powered devices. RF-DC rectifiers are the core enabler, and also bottleneck, for sensitive, long-range wireless-powered systems. Unlike discrete-component rectifiers, fully-integrated RFIC and MMIC rectifiers offer advantages in form factor, scalability, and system-on-chip (SoC) co-integration capabilities. Through SoC integration, WPT can be adopted more broadly in applications such as biomedical implants, wearable sensors, and IoT nodes. This comprehensive review covers CMOS-based integrated rectifier designs, with a roadmap to SoC and system integration from dies, packages, to systems. Rectifier topologies are categorized into three major groups: voltage doublers, cross-coupled rectifiers, and reversed amplifier-inspired architectures, with the self-compensation techniques further discussed as possible performance enhancement strategies. A dataset of over 120 published rectifiers is analyzed to extract performance trends over frequency, process node, power sensitivity, efficiency, and circuit integration approaches. In addition, practical applications in both IoT systems and RFID-based platforms are examined to demonstrate the functional advantages of integration. The review highlights the evolution of rectifier performance metrics over time and provides insights into trade-offs among efficiency, sensitivity, and power dynamic range. As energy-autonomous electronics continue to expand across domains, integrated rectifiers are expected to remain a foundational building block in future low-power, wireless-powered systems.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1191-1211"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11180877","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-22DOI: 10.1109/JMW.2025.3608438
Josep Maria Lopez-Villegas;Neus Vidal Martinez
This work presents the design, manufacturing and electromagnetic characterization of compact 3-way Wilkinson power divider/combiner prototypes intended to work in the sub-GHz frequency band. The primary objective is to create practical designs in terms of size while achieving a highly symmetric electromagnetic behavior. To accomplish this, a combination of additive manufacturing techniques and copper electroplating processes was employed. Additive manufacturing enables the design of very compact 3D structures, such as helical-microstrip transmission lines, which can reduce the dimensions of the prototypes without compromising wave propagation. Additionally, its 3D nature allows for the design of completely symmetric structures, unattainable with planar technologies. The high quality of electroplated copper ensures low losses. Two prototypes, designed to operate at target center frequencies of 250 MHz and 600 MHz, respectively, were implemented. For comparison purposes a planar 3-way Wilkinson device designed to operate at a target center frequency of 600 MHz was also implemented. S-parameters were simulated and measured around the respective target frequencies to derive port impedance matching, port isolation, and insertion losses. The obtained results confirm the feasibility of very compact Wilkinson devices at the sub-GHz frequency range, with low losses and highly symmetric behavior.
{"title":"Design, Additive Manufacturing, and Characterization of a Symmetric 3-Way Wilkinson Power Divider/Combiner","authors":"Josep Maria Lopez-Villegas;Neus Vidal Martinez","doi":"10.1109/JMW.2025.3608438","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JMW.2025.3608438","url":null,"abstract":"This work presents the design, manufacturing and electromagnetic characterization of compact 3-way Wilkinson power divider/combiner prototypes intended to work in the sub-GHz frequency band. The primary objective is to create practical designs in terms of size while achieving a highly symmetric electromagnetic behavior. To accomplish this, a combination of additive manufacturing techniques and copper electroplating processes was employed. Additive manufacturing enables the design of very compact 3D structures, such as helical-microstrip transmission lines, which can reduce the dimensions of the prototypes without compromising wave propagation. Additionally, its 3D nature allows for the design of completely symmetric structures, unattainable with planar technologies. The high quality of electroplated copper ensures low losses. Two prototypes, designed to operate at target center frequencies of 250 MHz and 600 MHz, respectively, were implemented. For comparison purposes a planar 3-way Wilkinson device designed to operate at a target center frequency of 600 MHz was also implemented. S-parameters were simulated and measured around the respective target frequencies to derive port impedance matching, port isolation, and insertion losses. The obtained results confirm the feasibility of very compact Wilkinson devices at the sub-GHz frequency range, with low losses and highly symmetric behavior.","PeriodicalId":93296,"journal":{"name":"IEEE journal of microwaves","volume":"5 6","pages":"1339-1348"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11175192","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145449361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：