Magnetic-free non-reciprocal circuits based on sub-harmonic spatio-temporal conductance modulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11031665-B2
Application number	US-201716318074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 21, 2017
Priority date	Jul 21, 2016
Publication date	Jun 8, 2021
Grant date	Jun 8, 2021

Abstract

A circuit comprising a differential transmission line and eight switches provides non-reciprocal signal flow. In some embodiments, the circuit can be driven by four local oscillator signals. The circuit can be used to form a gyrator. The circuit can be used to form a circulator. The circuit can be used to form three-port circulator than can provide direction signal flow between a transmitter and an antenna and from the antenna to a receiver. The three-port circulator can be used to implement a full duplex transceiver that uses a single antenna for transmitting and receiving.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit, comprising:
a first differential transmission line having: a first end having a first connection and a second connection; and a second end having a third connection and a fourth connection;
a first switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the first switch is connected to the first connection;
a second switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the second switch is connected to the first connection;
a third switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the third switch is connected to the second connection and the second side of the third switch is connected to the second side of the first switch and a first node;
a fourth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the fourth switch is connected to the second connection and the second side of the fourth switch is connected to the second side of the second switch and a second node;
a fifth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the fifth switch is connected to the third connection;
a sixth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the sixth switch is connected to the third connection;
a seventh switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the seventh switch is connected to the fourth connection and the second side of the seventh switch is connected to the second side of the fifth switch and a third node;
an eighth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the eighth switch is connected to the fourth connection and the second side of the eighth switch is connected to the second side of the sixth switch and a fourth node;
a second differential transmission line having: a first end having a fifth connection and a sixth connection; and a second end having a seventh connection and an eighth connection;
a ninth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the ninth switch is connected to the fifth connection;
a tenth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the tenth switch is connected to the fifth connection;
an eleventh switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the eleventh switch is connected to the sixth connection and the second side of the eleventh switch is connected to the second side of the ninth switch and the first node;
a twelfth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the twelfth switch is connected to the sixth connection and the second side of the twelfth switch is connected to the second side of the tenth switch and the second node;
a thirteenth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the thirteenth switch is connected to the seventh connection;
a fourteenth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the fourteenth switch is connected to the seventh connection;
a fifteenth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the fifteenth switch is connected to the eighth connection and the second side of the fifteenth switch is connected to the second side of the thirteenth switch and the third node; and
a sixteenth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the sixteenth switch is connected to the eighth connection and the second side of the sixteenth switch is connected to the second side of the fourteenth switch and the fourth node.

2. A circuit, comprising:
a first differential transmission line having: a first end having a first connection and a second connection; and a second end having a third connection and a fourth connection;
a first switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the first switch is connected to the first connection;
a second switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the second switch is connected to the first connection;
a third switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the third switch is connected to the second connection and the second side of the third switch is connected to the second side of the first switch and a first node;
a fourth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the fourth switch is connected to the second connection and the second side of the fourth switch is connected to the second side of the second switch and a second node;
a fifth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the fifth switch is connected to the third connection;
a sixth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the sixth switch is connected to the third connection;
a seventh switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the seventh switch is connected to the fourth connection and the second side of the seventh switch is connected to the second side of the fifth switch and a third node;
an eighth switch having a first side, a second side, and a control, wherein the first side of the eighth switch is connected to the fourth connection and the second side of the eighth switch is connected to the second side of the sixth switch and a fourth node; and
at least one other differential transmission line having a total delay of three quarters of a period of an operating frequency of the circuit, having a first side having a ninth connection and a tenth connection, and having a second side having an eleventh connection and a twelfth connection, wherein the ninth connection is connected to the second side of the first switch, the tenth connection is connected to the second side of the fourth switch, the eleventh connection is connected to the second side of the fifth switch, and the twelfth connection is connected to the second side of the eighth switch.

3. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the at least one other differential transmission line comprises:
a third differential transmission line having a delay of one quarter of the period of the operating frequency of the circuit;
a fourth differential transmission line having a delay of one quarter of the period of the operating frequency of the circuit; and
at least one fifth differential transmission line having a total delay of one quarter of the period of the operating frequency of the circuit,
wherein the third differential transmission line, the fourth differential transmission line, and the at least one fifth differential transmission line form a series connection between: the first node and the second node; and the third node and the fourth node.

4. The circuit of claim 3 , further comprising a transmitter port, an antenna port, and a receiver port, wherein the third differential transmission line is connected between the transmitter port and the antenna port, and the fourth differential transmission line is connected between the antenna port and the receiver port.

5. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the at least one fifth differential transmission line comprises:
a sixth differential transmission line having a delay of one eighth of the period of the operating frequency of the circuit; and
a seventh differential transmission line having a delay of one eighth of the period of the operating frequency of the circuit,
wherein the sixth differential transmission line is connected between the third differential transmission line and the third node and the fourth node, and the seventh differential transmission li

Assignees

• Dinc Tolga
• Krishnaswamy Harish
• Univ Columbia

Inventors

• Dinc Tolga
• Krishnaswamy Harish

Classifications

• H01P1/383

  Junction circulators, e.g. Y-circulators · CPC title

• H03D2200/0003

  Rat race couplers · CPC title

• H03D7/165 Primary

  at least two frequency changers being located in different paths, e.g. in two paths with carriers in quadrature (combined with amplitude demodulation H03D1/2245, combined with angle demodulation H03D3/007; N-path filters H03H19/002) · CPC title

• H03D7/1441

  using field-effect transistors (H03D7/145 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H03D7/161

  all the frequency changers being connected in cascade · CPC title