Submillimeter Wave High Order Frequency Multiplier Based on Graphene

Abstract

In this paper, a single stage millimeter/submillimeter wave frequency multiplier is presented. The desired frequency multiplication performance is obtained through the nonlinear excitation of high-order harmonic components in a graphene film, when it is illuminated with a low-frequency input signal. The graphene film is integrated into a microstrip structure on a polyimide substrate, which is subsequently embedded in a micromachined waveguide block. The design has been optimized to receive an input signal in the Ka frequency band, between 26.5 and 40 GHz, and to produce an output signal in the WR-3 frequency band, between 220 and 330 GHz. A complete prototype of the frequency multiplier module, including standard waveguide flanges for its interconnection, has been manufactured and experimentally characterized. The results in terms of output power in the WR-3 frequency band, for harmonic orders between 6 and 11, as well as for input power levels between 7 and 21 dBm, are presented.

Keywords

• Frequency multiplier
• graphene
• millimeter wave circuits
• submillimeter wave circuits
• nonlinear circuits