Analysis and Design of High-Efficiency Single-Sideband Time-Modulated Module

The design of a high-efficiency single-sideband (SSB) time-modulated (TM) module is introduced, and the factors affecting the efficiency of the TM module, including harmonic efficiency, modulation utilization efficiency of radio frequency (RF) signal, and circuit efficiency, are discussed theoretically. To verify the theoretical analysis, a C-band high-efficiency TM (HETM) module was designed, fabricated, and tested, and the calculated results are in good agreement with the measured results. The experimental results show that the +1st harmonic efficiency, the modulation utilization efficiency, and the circuit efficiency of the proposed HETM module are 81.0%, 98.5%, and 54.8%, respectively. The total efficiency is up to 43.7%, and the designed HETM module has the performance of a 6-bit phase shifter and attenuator, which is very suitable for the application of passive phased array antennas.