Time-varying transistor-based metamaterial for tunability, mixing, and efficient phase conjugation

Abstract

We present a transistor-based microwave metamaterial exhibiting tunability over a wide range of time scales. By loading a metamaterial with a transistor, we show through theory and simulation that both the resonant frequency and quality factor of the metamaterial can be dynamically tuned with a voltage bias. We demonstrate through experiment that such a time-varying transistor-based metamaterial exhibits this tunability. The tunability is applicable to a wide range of time scales, from quasi-static effective parameter tuning to parametric pumping for mixing and phase conjugation. We then apply the metamaterial to a particular application of phase conjugation and demonstrate through simulation and experiment that a very strong phase conjugated signal is produced. We experimentally show that the mixing efficiency for a transistor metamaterial is over 30 dB stronger than that of a varactor-based phase conjugate metamaterial.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Apr 08, 2014
Source ID
10.1063/1.4871195

Entities

People

  • Alexander R. Katko
  • John P. Barrett
  • Steven A. Cummer

Organizations

  • Army Research Office
  • Duke University

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electronics Engineering
  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics