Parametric Frequency Conversion.
Abstract
It is generally known that the application of energy to a linear network will result in the appearance of a proportional replica of that energy at an output port of that network. Further, the application of more than one energy input will result in a weighted linear summation of those inputs. This assertion of course neglects energy level and bandwidth limitations. If, however, one or more sources of energy are applied to a network possessing a nonlinear characteristic, a quite different situation emerges. The output will contain components of the applied energies plus sum and difference components of the original energies and their harmonics. This phenomenon is widely known as frequency conversion, modulation, or mixing. The nonlinear operation of a network is commonly due to the presence there of one or more nonlinear impedances. This impedance may be complex, having either resistance or reactance or some combination thereof. Resistive nonlinearities may be provided by the action of diodes operating under varying levels of forward bias and three terminal devices such as junction transistors, FETs, and such which are operated over the nonlinear extremes of their transfer characteristics. Other materials and devices exist which also exhibit this behavior but are not within the scope of this paper. Reactive nonlinearities are found to be manifest by the junction capacitance of reverse biased semiconductor diodes and in the inductance of certain saturable reactors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1976
- Accession Number
- ADA047803
Entities
People
- Daniel E. Fitch
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology