Negative Group Delay Research Articles

Analysis of substrate materials for millimeter wave antenna applications

A compact and novel multi band series fed array antenna is simulated and analyzed for antenna applications in millimeter-wave frequency ranges. The single element antenna performance is investigated for different flexible substrate materials like Rogers Ultralam, Arlon Diclad 880, Neltec NY9220, Taconic TLY, Polyethylene and Polystyrene in initial stages. The proposed series fed array antenna operates (S11<-10dB) in 14.7-20.8GHz, 23.125.8GHz, 28.5-34.8GHz and 39.3-44.8GHz frequency bands. The designed antenna exhibits negative group delay characteristics from 18.2-19.9GHz, 29.9-33.3GHz, 39.4-42GHz and 42.6-43.6GHz. It achieved a peak gain of 13.9dB at 42.5GHz and radiation efficiency of 97.5% at 33GHz. Results obtained are in fine conformity and therefore, proposed antenna is preferable for mmwave applications.

Bandpass NGD function design for 5G microwave signal delay synchronization application

This paper introduces a design method of simple bandpass (BP) negative group delay (NGD) topology. The fundamental specifications of BP NGD function are defined. The NGD passive topology consists of parallel resistance associated with an open-ended microstrip stub. The NGD properties and characterization with respect to the constituting stub parameters are established. The validations are performed with theoretical calculated and simulated GD, transmission and reflection coefficients. The BP NGD circuit can be useful for the improvement of phase linearity and GD equalization of future 5G microwave devices.

Bandpass NGD analysis of symmetric lumped Y-tree via tensorial analysis of networks formalism

This paper develops an original theory of bandpass (BP) negative group delay (NGD) function from three-port symmetric circuit. The BP NGD analysis is applied first time to three-port topology. The present study develops originally a BP NGD investigation of three-port circuit constituted by R, L and C lumped components. The equivalent S-matrix modelling is elaborated with the uncommon circuit theory. To validate the theory, a lumped circuit proof of concept is designed and simulated. A group delay value of about −0.3 ns is observed at the NGD centre frequency of about 76 MHz over 214 MHz bandwidth. For the further understanding on the BP NGD behaviour, a parametric study with the variations of the resistor, inductor and capacitor components of the Y-tree is performed. The results of the present study guarantee a potential microwave communication application of BP NGD function notably for systems operating with ISM and IEEE 802.11 standards.

Adaptive Multi-Band Negative-Group-Delay RF Circuits With Low Reflection

Two classes of frequency-reconfigurable multi-band negative-group-delay (NGD) circuit networks that feature low-input-power-reflection capabilities are reported. They consist of lossy-complementary-diplexer architectures, in which the NGD properties are obtained within the stopband regions of their lossy multi-band bandstop-filter (BSF) channel. Their complementary lossy multi-band bandpass-filter (BPF) branch absorbs in its terminating resistor the RF-input-signal energy that is not transmitted by the lossy multi-band BSF channel within its stopbands. In this manner, the input-reflectionless/absorptive behavior is realized. The theoretical foundations of the devised lossy-multi-band-BSF-based NGD structures using a coupling-routing-diagram formalism and single-to-multi-band admittance transformations are described. For the first-order case as illustration, guidelines for the synthesis in the bandpass frequency domain are provided. Furthermore, the extension of these multi-band NGD approaches to higher-order and in-series-cascade multi-stage realizations for more-general and wider-band NGD patterning, as well as to two-port/symmetrical designs, is shown. In addition, the conception of multi-functional passive components with NGD characteristics, such as wide-band BPFs and power directional couplers with embedded NGD regions, is also addressed. For experimental-demonstration purposes, an electronically-reconfigurable microstrip prototype of a two-stage-in-series-cascade dual-band NGD circuit is manufactured and measured.

Study and experimentation of a 6-dB attenuation low-pass NGD circuit

Because of its counterintuitive nature, the Negative Group Delay (NGD) remains as an uncommon and unfamiliar electronic function. For this reason, the design and analysis of NGD circuits are not well-known for most of electronic designers. This paper initiates a basic and easy to understand theory, in addition to a design methodology for the low-pass NGD function. The circuit theory on the low-pass NGD function is described using an NGD passive topology which is constituted by a RC-parallel network with a resistive load. The NGD analysis and synthesis equations in function of NGD specifications are provided and a proof-of-concept of 6-dB low-pass NGD circuits has been designed, simulated, fabricated and tested. Frequency and time domain analyses have been performed to validate the low-pass NGD function. Theoretical and simulated results are in very good agreement and an NGD has been obtained in measurement for the proposed structure.

Dielectric Resonator Negative Group Delay Circuit

AbstractThis study investigates an innovative theory on design of dielectric resonator (DR) based negative group delay (NGD) microwave circuit. The NGD circuit is mainly constituted by a cylindrical bulk of DR as a coupling element with a microstrip line. The developed theory is analytically established from the S‐parameters modeling of this innovative DR NGD topology. The NGD analysis and synthesis equations are formulated by considering the key parameters of the DR NGD cell. The NGD existence condition as a function of the DR and microstrip line parameters is also introduced. The behavioral response of the bandpass NGD function is verified with different designed proof‐of‐concepts (POCs). The developed NGD DR topology was validated with original circuit design by commercial simulations and experimentations with insertion and reflection losses lower than 4 and 10 dB, respectively. The POC prototypes operate with low attenuation losses in mono band and dual bands up to 10 GHz. Single NGD cells with DR coupled with “I” and “U” shape microstrip lines operating at different central frequencies were designed and implemented. Then, dual‐band NGD circuits operating at approximately 2.5 and 5 GHz were also tested. The possibility to widen the NGD bandwidth with double DR NGD circuits was investigated.

DESIGNING A REFLECTION-TYPE NGD NETWORK USING OPEN AND SHORT SHUNT STUBS FOR WIDEBAND ELECTRICALLY SMALL ANTENNAS

Wireless communication devices such as mobile phones play a vital role in our daily life. They need to cover an increasingly wide frequency band with low profile antennas. Electrically small antennas (ESAs) comply with these requirements. However, they are subject to gain-bandwidth limits when matched with passive matching networks. Non-Foster reactive elements have been proposed to bypass those restrictions. This paper addresses designing negative group delay NGD-based non-Foster networks to overcome stability problems when using Negative Impedance Converters (NICs) in order to realise on-Foster reactive circuits. The NGD network model was designed using open short stubs to achieve a non-Foster behaviour, and to act as a negative capacitor in the frequency range of interest. This technique of compensating the inherent loss of the proposed NGD network in the reflection mode was to realise a new structure of reactive non-Foster elements. It involves a negative resistance amplifier and a Lange coupler. The proposed technique is applicable to antenna matching where both transmit and received capabilities are required. It was simulated and the experimental results of the new NGD network circuit were introduced.

Compact and adjustable compensator for AOD spatial and temporal dispersion using off-the-shelf components.

Random access multiphoton microscopy using two orthogonal acousto-optic deflectors (AODs) allows sampling only particular regions of interest within a plane, greatly speeding up the sampling rate. AODs introduce spatial and temporal dispersions, which distort the point spread function and decrease the peak intensity of the pulse. Both of these effects can be compensated for with a single dispersive element placed a distance before the AODs. An additional acousto-optic modulator, a custom cut prism, and a standard prism used with additional cylindrical optics have been demonstrated. All of these introduce additional cost or complexity and require an extended path length to achieve the needed negative group delay dispersion (GDD). By introducing a telescope between a transmission grating and the AODs, we correct for spatial and temporal dispersions in a compact design using only off-the-shelf components, and we show that the GDD can be tuned by translation of the telescope without adjustment of any other elements.

On the Principle of Causality and Superluminal Signal Propagation Velocities

This paper considers the question of superluminal (or negative) group velocities of signals in dispersive media, as well as negative group delay times of signals passing through linear filters. It is shown that information can be transmitted only with the help of jumps in the time dependence of a function or its derivatives and, therefore, the information propagation velocity in any (including dispersive, absorbing, or amplifying) medium exactly coincides with the speed of light in vacuum. As for the group velocity of a wave packet, it is only the propagation velocity of its infinitely differentiable envelope, by means of which the transmission of information, strictly speaking, is impossible. Therefore, in regions with anomalous dispersion, the group velocity can be superluminal or negative without violating the “light limitation” of the theory of relativity or the principle of causality. Examples of situations in which superluminal or negative group velocity occurs are given.

Chirped-apodized Thue-Morse quasiperiodic structures for multichannel optical dispersion compensation

Nowadays, optical data transmission systems are significantly involved in telecommunication networks. Particularly, hundreds of data channels can be sent concurrently over a single optical fiber through dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and optical time division multiplexing technologies. Nevertheless, dispersion imposes main limitations for having high capacity systems with high transmission rates. This paper suggests a new dispersion compensating scheme by introducing one-dimensional chirped and apodized Thue-Morse quasiperiodic structures. Numerical investigations of the dispersion features of the proposed structure is presented. According to the acquired relatively smooth and negative slope group delay (GD) along with corresponding negative constant group velocity dispersion (GVD) of the reflection bands, it would be possible to apply the suggested structure in an efficient way in DWDM applications for multiband dispersion compensation in optical communication systems. The designed multilayer structure with short physical length and ultrahigh negative dispersion coefficient and with the free spectral range (FSR) of about 0.8 nm meets the International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization (ITU-T) Sector requirements. Besides, the impact of main structural design parameters on the spectral features of the suggested system are presented in this paper.

Electromagnetic Cavity Resonance Equalization With Bandpass Negative Group Delay

This article deals with an original equalization method of 3-D electromagnetic (EM) cavity resonance by using bandpass negative group delay (NGD) function. Based on the equivalent circuit, the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">S</i> -matrix model of the equalized EM cavity is introduced. The design equations of the NGD function are established in function of the cavity physical parameters. The feasibility of the equalization method is validated with a 42×28×3.8 cm rectangular cavity containing two communicating monopole antennas. By considering the TE110-mode, a significant equalization is realized with improvement of transmission coefficient flatness from 4 dB to less than 0.3 dB. In addition to the magnitude, the NGD equalization method enables to outstandingly reduce spikes of 3-D EM cavity group delay. With the proof of concept, the GD is reduced from more than 4 to 1 ns.

Anticipation and negative group delay in a retina.

The mechanism of negative group delay (NGD) is used to understand the anticipatory capability of a retina. Experiments with retinas from bullfrogs are performed to compare with the predictions of the NGD model. In particular, whole field stochastic stimulations with various autocorrelation times are used to probe anticipatory responses from the retina. We find that the NGD model can reproduce essential features of experimental observations characterized by the cross correlations between the stimulation and the retinal responses. Experiments with dark light pulse stimulations further support the NGD mechanism, with the retina producing time-advanced pulse responses. However, no time-advanced pulse responses are produced by bright pulses. Counterintuitively, the NGD model shows that it is the delay in the system which gives rise to anticipation because of the negative feedback adaptation mechanism.

Design and Test of Crab-Shaped Negative Group Delay Circuit

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Editor’s notes:</i> Negative group delay (NGD) function is used to solve the delay issue of RF and microwave devices. This article presents a novel NGD circuit based on the distributed topology of a “crab-shaped” geometry structure. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">—Fei Su, Intel Corp.</i>

Negative Group Delay Circuits and Applications: Feedforward Amplifiers, Phased-Array Antennas, Constant Phase Shifters, Non-Foster Elements, Interconnection Equalization, and Power Dividers

With the rapid development of newgeneration communication technology such as multiple-input/multiple-output technology, ultrawideband communication, and 5G technology, communication systems have higher requirements for the quality of signal transmissions. Achieving this quality requires attention not only to signal amplitude characteristics but also to phase characteristics because of the long delays and signal distortion that come with positive group delay (PGD). However, negative group delay (NGD) circuits are an effective way to compensate for PGD and decrease the variability of passband group delay.

Broadband negative group velocity dispersion in all-dielectric metamaterial and its role in supercontinuum generation.

All-dielectric metamaterials conforming to an optical reflectionless potential (ORP) offer broadband, omni-directional suppression of reflection. Though they are predicted to possess broadband negative group velocity dispersion (GVD), ultrashort pulse propagation through such materials has not been studied so far, to the best of our knowledge. In this work, we demonstrate negative GVD and group delay dispersion over broadband covering visible to near-infrared wavelengths. We investigate the role of ORP in supercontinuum generation (SC), which is observed to be polarization independent. The negative GVD in ORPs is interesting for pulse compression, phase compensation, dispersion engineering, and controlled SC generation.

Experimental Time-Domain Study for Bandpass Negative Group Delay Analysis With Lill-Shape Microstrip Circuit

This paper focuses on the time-domain analysis of bandpass (BP) negative group delay (NGD) function. The innovative NGD investigation is based on the time-domain experimentation of an innovative topology of “lill”-shape passive microstrip circuit. The design principle of the proof of concept (POC) constituted by particular microstrip shapes is described. The NGD circuit is inspired from a recent fully distributed “li”-topology. Before the time-domain investigation, the BP NGD specifications of the circuit under study are academically defined. As practical application of the basic definition, a frequency domain validation of “lill”-circuit is presented in the first section of the paper. The POC circuit is specified by a -8 ns NGD value at 2.31 GHz NGD center frequency and a 27 MHz NGD bandwidth. The “lill”-circuit exhibits an attenuation loss of about -6.2 dB at the NGD center frequency. Then, the two-port black box model of “lill”-NGD-circuit represented by touchstone data of the measured S-parameters is exploited for the transient simulation. The measured group delay (GD) illustrates that the tested “lill”-circuit operates as a BP function regarding the NGD with NGD equal to -8.1 ns at the NGD center frequency. The time-domain demonstration of the BP NGD function was performed using a gaussian pulse modulating sine carrier. The innovative experimental setup with the possibility to plot simultaneously well synchronized input and output signals is explained. The BP NGD time-domain response is understood from commercial tool simulation using the touchstone S-parameters of the measured “lill”-circuit by using a Gaussian up-converted pulse having a 27 MHz frequency bandwidth. It was observed that the output signals are delayed when the sine carrier is out of NGD-band. However, the output signal envelope is in advanced of about -8 ns when the carrier is tuned to be approximately equal to the 2.31 GHz NGD center frequency. To confirm the time-domain typical behavior of BP NGD response, an input pulse signal having Gaussian waveform were considered during the test. However, the input signal spectrum must be determined in function of the NGD bandwidth. After tests, measured output signal envelopes presenting leading edge, trailing edge and peak in time-advance compared to the input ones are observed experimentally. The results of the present feasibility study open a potential microwave communication application of BP NGD function notably for systems operating with ISM and IEEE 802.11 standards.

Innovative Transient Study of Tri-Bandpass Negative Group Delay Applied to Microstrip Barcode-Circuit

A transient study of bandpass (BP) negative group delay (NGD) function is devoted in this paper. The transient analysis is applied to an original topology of NGD barcode-shape microstrip circuit. The performed investigation explains how to realize the transient analysis of tri-band NGD circuit. The time-domain (TD) parametrization of the test is established from the BP-NGD specifications of the circuit under test (CUT) based on the S-parameter model. The input signal is a Gaussian pulse characterized in function of the NGD bandwidth (BW) and center frequency. The feasibility of the BP-NGD transient study is illustrated with experimentation based on ultra-wide band (UWB) pulse generator. As proof-of-concept, barcode NGD circuit exhibiting tri-band NGD value-center frequency-bandwidth, (−5.9 ns, 2.128 GHz, 20 MHz), (−7.4 ns, 2.3 GHz, 14 MHz) and (−4.8 ns, 2.42 GHz, 14 MHz) has been fabricated and tested. The transient simulations and experiences confirm that the output signal envelopes of the barcode NGD prototype present leading and tailing edges in time-advance of input ones when the carrier frequency is set equal to the NGD center frequency.

Bandpass Negative Group Delay Theory of Fully Capacitive Δ-Network

A particularly original negative group delay (NGD) theory of <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> -topology is developed in the present paper. The NGD three-port topology is a passive circuit purely constituted by capacitors network. The model of the proposed <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> -topology impedance 3-D matrix is analytically established in function of the capacitor elements. Then, the S-matrix model is derived by using the Y-to-S transform. By considering the S-matrix frequency responses, a bandpass (BP) NGD analysis of the capacitive <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> -topology is originally elaborated. It is theoretically demonstrated that the passive <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> -topology is susceptible to behave as a BP NGD circuit under an analytical condition between the constituting capacitor values. The design feasibility of the BP NGD function is experimentally verified with lumped capacitor components-based <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> -circuit proof of concept. An electronic circuit board constituted by purely capacitive-network <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> -circuit is fabricated as an original <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta $ </tex-math></inline-formula> -circuit prototype. The tested board is constituted by arbitrary chosen capacitors, 100 nF, 10 nF and 0.1 nF. As expected, the calculation, simulation and measurement results, which are in very good agreement, confirm the BP NGD behavior. It is observed from measurement that it generates NGD of about −18.1 ns at a frequency of about 0.55 MHz and, lower and upper cut-off frequencies of about 0.33 MHz and 1.71 MHz. It is noteworthy that the transmission and reflection coefficients at very low frequency are independent of the capacitor values and analytically equal to 2/3 and 1/3, respectively.

Design and Synthesis of Inductorless Passive Cell Operating as Stop-Band Negative Group Delay Function

This paper develops an original circuit theory of unfamiliar stop-band (SB) negative group delay (NGD) topology. The proposed NGD topology is implemented without inductor component. The developed theory is established with passive cell constituted by RC-network based high-pass (HP) and low-pass (LP) NGD composite circuits. The analytical investigation of the SB-NGD circuit is introduced from the elaboration of voltage transfer function (VTF). The canonical form enabling to identify SB-NGD circuit is analytically expressed. The different SB-NGD characteristics as GD value, and, center and cut-off frequencies are innovatively formulated in function of the circuit resistor and capacitor components. The existence condition of SB-NGD function is also established. The inductorless SB-NGD topology is validated by a proof-of-concept (POC) circuit implemented by surface-mounted-device (SMD) component based printed circuit board (PCB). The measured VTF magnitude and group delay (GD) are extracted from the experimented S-parameters. A good agreement between the calculated, simulated and measured results is obtained. The SB-NGD behavior has measured center frequency of about 32 MHz. The lower- and upper-NGD cut-off frequencies are about 9.15 MHz and 98.3 MHz. The optimal NGD values at low and higher frequencies are −3.25 ns and −56 ps.

Audibility of Group-Delay Equalization

This paper discusses the audibility of group-delay variations. Previous research has found limits of audibility as a function of frequency for different test signals, but extracting the tolerance for group delay to help audio reproduction system designers is hard. This study considers four critical test signals, three synthetic and one recorded, modified with digital allpass filters. The signals are filtered to produce a positive or negative group-delay peak covering the most sensitive frequency range from 500 Hz to 4 kHz, without changing the delay at other frequencies. ABX listening tests using headphones reveal the audibility thresholds for each signal. The perception is highly dependent on the signal, and the unit impulse and pink impulse are the most critical test signals. Negative group-delay variations are more easily audible than positive ones. The smallest mean threshold for the negative group delay was $-$0.56 ms and 0.64 ms for the positive group delay, obtained with a pink impulse. The thresholds are smaller than those obtained in previous studies. A synthetic hi-hat sound decaying 60 dB in 80 ms hides a positive group-delay variation. The variation is more difficult to hear in a recorded castanet sound than in the most critical synthetic signals. This work demonstrates how the group-delay response of headphones and loudspeakers can be perceptually tested, and leads to a better understanding of how audio systems should be equalized to avoid audible group-delay distortion.