Reconfigurable UWB bandpass filter with flexible notch characteristics

The paper reports a novel compact tunable ultra-wideband (UWB) notch filter using hybrid microstrip and coplanar waveguide (CPW) structure. The tunable notch is implemented to filter out the wireless local area network (WLAN) channels from 5 GHz to 6 GHz. The proposed structure utilizes the resonance of open ended stubs to achieve transmission zeroes in the filter passband. Varactors and by-pass capacitors are then introduced for dynamic tunability of notch. Further, the electromagnetic decoupling of the two resonators leads to tunable bandwidth of notch. DC bias circuitry is implemented to control the varactor capacitances. Rejection levels up to 25 dB are attained using this technique while maintaining insertion loss levels below 2.5 dB in the passband. The reconfigurability of bandwidth is shown by maintaining a constant bandwidth of 150 MHz across the WLAN band for the notch. The filter attains excellent wide bandwidth (from 2.5 GHz to 8.5 GHz) using multimode-resonator (MMR) based topology which makes the filter one wavelength long at the central frequency.