Integrated sub-harmonically pumped up-converter antenna for spatial power combining

A Ka-band sub-harmonically pumped up-converter antenna employing the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technique is proposed and used to realise a low-cost transmitter together with spatial power combining architecture in this paper. A single Ka-band sub-harmonically pumped up-converter using SIW band-pass filter is developed, exhibiting a conversion loss of about 7 dB. Based on the designed up-converter and SIW feeding antipodal linearly tapered slot antenna (SIW-ALTSA), the integrated up-converter antenna is designed and fabricated. Measured results of equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) and radiation patterns are given. Finally, a 2 2 up-converter antenna array is designed and fabricated. Measured result shows the array has a power combining efficiency of above 90 and IM3 EIRP of 16 dBm. In close-range point-to-point communication and radar systems, the demonstrated millimetre-wave sub-harmonically pumped up-converter antenna array can be considered as a transmitter because of its low cost, high dynamic range and high linearity.