High power efficiency distributed oscillator based on composite-right-/left-handed unit cells

Abstract

A microwave oscillator topology based on CRLH (Composite Right-/Left-Handed) unit cells is analyzed theoretically and experimentally tested. The oscillator consists of a CRLH based distributed amplifier and a positive feedback realized by a simple transmission line. The oscillator has two output ports, where the power levels are practically the same. For this topology, we have found the oscillation condition and we demonstrate that each transistor gives the same contribution to the power delivered at the two output ports, in this way, the output power is maximized. The oscillator has been designed for a frequency of oscillation of 2.8 GHz and fabricated in hybrid technology, by using InGaAs HEMTs and microstrip lines. The measured powers at the two output ports are equal to 12.6 dBm and 10.4 dBm, the small difference between these values being given by the insertion loss of the gate line. The experimental frequency of oscillation is 2.77 GHz, with a difference of less than 1% in comparison with the expected value. Due to the frequency selectivity of the CRLH unit cells, numerical simulations predict low phase noise for this configuration of oscillator.