Synoptel proposes a combination of novel technologies involving Doherty power amplifierdesign, push-pull power combining and low cost laminated plastic waveguide packaging to create anefficient power amplifier with output power of 1 to 3 watts for 32 GHz space communications systemsincluding interplanetary probes. Doherty power amplifiers provide high efficiency and linearity overwidely varying input drive levels, while push pull combining offers high combining efficiency overbroad bandwidth operation. This combination could lead to the development of power amplifiers withhigh efficiency (up to 50% depending on output power) and high linearity at Ka-band (32 GHz), although creating a short in the circuit and designing low loss balun is challenging. Our novel metalclad, laminated plastic waveguide packaging concept combined with gold post interconnects willsignificantly reduce the cost and mass of the power amplifier. We will investigate suitability of theseinnovative concepts for use at millimeter wave frequencies by investigating a 32 GHz poweramplifiers in Phase 1 of this SBIR program.
Potential Commercial Applications:Insertion of proposed technology in millimeter wave transceivers will have potential commercialapplications for point-to-point radio for high data rate communications, local multipoint distributionsystems for video distribution, and commercial LEO satellites.
