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This paper presents a design methodology that significantly increases the peak power handling capability (PPHC) of microstrip filters. The PPHC is limited in microstrip technology by the corona effect: a physical phenomenon caused by the ionization of the air in the presence of strong electric fields around the planar circuit. Microstrip filter with low electric field strength in the air increases the corona threshold level, resulting in high PPHC. Conventional stepped impedance (SI) filters, which consist of cascaded step-shaped elements, exhibit sharp discontinuities. These geometric edges amplify the electric field strength in the air, consequently reducing the corona threshold. Our research group has recently reported a new synthesis technique that introduces a smooth-profile (SP) conductor strip. This SP strip eliminates any sharp discontinuities and significantly reduces the strength of the electric field. This paper focuses on the examination of the high power performance of 7th-order SP and SI low-pass filters. The cut-off frequency (fc) for both types of filters is set at 447.45 MHz, while the frequency for maximum stop-band rejection (fo) is 1 GHz. The findings indicate that the SP filter shows a notable enhancement in peak power handling capability (PPHC), with gains of 2.48 dB and 4.80 dB observed at critical pressure and ambient pressure, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a new parallel-coupled-line microstrip bandpass filter with suppressed spurious passband. Using a continuous perturbation of the width of the coupled lines following a sinusoidal law, the wave impedance is modulated so that the harmonic passband of the filter is rejected while the desired passband response is maintained virtually unaltered. This strip-width perturbation does not require the filter parameters to be recalculated and, this way, the classical design methodology for coupled-line microstrip filters can still be used. At the same time, the fabrication of the resulting filter layout does not involve more difficulties than those for typical coupled-line microstrip filters. To test this novel technique, order-3 Butterworth bandpass filters have been designed at 2.5 GHz with a 10% fractional bandwidth and different values of the perturbation amplitude. It is shown that for a 47.5% sinusoidal variation of the nominal strip width, a harmonic rejection of more than 40 dB is achieved in measurement while the passband at 2.5 GHz is almost unaltered. Index Terms--Bandpass filter, coupled-line filter, harmonic suppression, microstrip.

In this paper, a method to design high-power low-pass harmonic filters in rectangular waveguide technology is proposed. The new filters consist of a collection of smooth E-plane bandstop elements along the propagation direction and a smooth variation of the filter width. This yields to a broad rejected band for the fundamental TE10 mode, together with higher-order (TEn0 and non-TEn0) mode suppression. Two different examples with stringent requirements of the space industry are provided to demonstrate the capabilities of the new methodology. By means of high-power simulations and an extensive measurement campaign, it will be shown that the smoothness of the filter profile guarantees high-power operation even with small minimum mechanical gaps. Moreover, unlike classical techniques, our method is not restricted to filters with small gaps. Hence, filters with larger gaps (always fulfilling the demanding frequency specifications) are fabricated for even higher power-handling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a new technique for the design of arbitrary-order differentiators, intended for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications in microwave coupled-line technology. The technique employs an exact analytical series solution for the synthesis problem derived by the authors from the coupled-mode theory. This solution allows for the synthesis of microwave devices with arbitrary frequency responses, only limited by the principles of causality, passivity, and stability. The method has been successfully applied in the past to the design of two-port waveguide and transmission-line components operating in a reflection-type configuration. Here, the synthesis technique is extended to coupled-line structures, where the input port is matched at all frequencies and the reflected signal is redirected to the coupled port, enabling an effective transmission-type operation for the device. First-, second-, third-, and fourth-order UWB differentiators have been successfully designed, fabricated, and measured, validating the general design technique proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a compact and narrowband microstrip band-pass structure based on complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) etched in the back metal level (ground plane) is presented. Specifically, the structure is a two-stage CSRR-based device, where a series gap is etched in the output CSRR stage and two shunt stubs are added in the input cell. By these means we obtain a narrow and quite symmetric band-pass structure. A prototype device with 2% fractional bandwidth has been designed and fabricated for operation at the S-band. The dimensions of the device are as small as 14.6 × 11 mm, while high-frequency selectivity is achieved at both band edges due to the presence of two transmission zeros. To demonstrate the possibility to control the bandwidth over a narrow band, a wider (10% bandwidth) filter has been also designed and fabricated. These structures can be of interest for application in narrow band-pass filters where miniaturization and compatibility with planar technologies are key issues. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 46: 508–512, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21031 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate the potentiality of sub-wavelength resonators, namely, split-ring resonators, complementary split-ring resonators, and related structures to the suppression of undesired spurious bands in microwave filters, a key aspect to improve their rejection bandwidths. The main relevant characteristics of the cited resonators are their dimensions (which can be much smaller than signal wavelength at resonance) and their high-Q factor. This allows us to design stopband structures with significant rejection levels, few stages, and small dimensions, which can be integrated within the filter active region. By this means, no extra area is added to the device, while the passband of interest is virtually unaltered. A wide variety of bandpass filters, implemented in both coplanar-waveguide and microstrip technologies, have been designed and fabricated by the authors. The characterization of these devices points out the efficiency of the proposed approach to improve filter responses with harmonic rejection levels near 40 dB in some cases. It is also important to highlight that the conventional design methodology for the filters holds. For certain configurations, the presence of the resonators slightly lowers the phase velocity at the frequencies of interest with the added advantage of some level of reduction in device dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new approach for the development of planar metamaterial structures is developed. For this purpose, split-ring resonators (SRRs) and complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) coupled to planar transmission lines are investigated. The electromagnetic behavior of these elements, as well as their coupling to the host transmission line, are studied, and analytical equivalent-circuit models are proposed for the isolated and coupled SRRs/CSRRs. From these models, the stopband/passband characteristics of the analyzed SRR/CSRR loaded transmission lines are derived. It is shown that, in the long wavelength limit, these stopband/passbands can be interpreted as due to the presence of negative/positive values for the effective e and p of the line. The proposed analysis is of interest in the design of compact microwave devices based on the metamaterial concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]