Detector circuit with improved bandwidth

• US 8,030,913 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Original Assignee: HRL Laboratories LLC (The Boeing Co.)
• Inventors: Lynch, Jonathan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Vincent Q
• Application Number:
  US12/172,481
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 324/600, 324/76.11
• US Class Current: 324/76.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/12 in circuits having distributed constants

Abstract

A detector circuit for an operational bandwidth having a center frequency including a diode, a first inductor in series with the diode, a transmission line coupled across the diode on a first end of the transmission line, the transmission line having an impedance and being in length a quarter wavelength of a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth, and a capacitor coupled across a second end of the transmission line.

Claims

1. A detector circuit for an operational bandwidth having a center frequency, the detector circuit comprising:

a diode;

a first inductor in series with the diode;

a transmission line having a signal line coupled to the diode and having a return line coupled to the first inductor on a first end of the transmission line, the transmission line having an impedance and being in length a quarter wavelength of a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth; and

a capacitor connected between the signal line and the return line on a second end of the transmission line.

2. The detector circuit of claim 1 wherein the detector circuit is an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being approximately 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm.

3. The detector circuit of claim 1 further comprising a second inductor in series with the diode.

4. The detector circuit of claim 3 wherein the first and second inductors are meander inductors.

5. The detector circuit of claim 3 wherein the first and second inductors are spiral inductors.

6. The detector circuit of claim 1 wherein the operational bandwidth comprises millimeter wave frequencies.

7. The detector circuit of claim 1 wherein the capacitor has a capacitance substantially greater than an inverse of a product of 2 pi multiplied by a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth multiplied by the impedance of the transmission line.

8. A detector circuit for an operational bandwidth having a center frequency, the detector circuit comprising:

an input transmission line having a first signal line and a first return line;

a diode coupled to the first signal line;

a first inductor coupled in series with the diode and coupled to the first return line;

a second transmission line having a second signal line and a second return line, the second signal line coupled to the diode and the second return line coupled to the first inductor on a first end of the second transmission line, the second transmission line having an impedance and being in length a quarter wavelength of a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth; and

a capacitor connected between the second signal line and the second return line at a second end of the transmission line.

9. The detector circuit of claim 8 wherein the detector circuit is an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being approximately 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm.

10. The detector circuit of claim 8 further comprising a second inductor coupled between the diode and the first return line.

11. The detector circuit of claim 10 wherein the first and second inductors are meander inductors.

12. The detector circuit of claim 10 wherein the first and second inductors are spiral inductors.

13. The detector circuit of claim 8 wherein the operational bandwidth comprises millimeter wave frequencies.

14. The detector circuit of claim 8 wherein the capacitor has a capacitance substantially greater than an inverse of a product of 2 pi multiplied by a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth multiplied by the impedance of the second transmission line.

15. A detector circuit for an operational bandwidth having a center frequency, the detector circuit comprising:

an input transmission line having a first signal line coupled to a first inductor and first return line coupled to a second inductor;

a diode coupled between the first inductor and the second inductor;

a second transmission line having a second signal line coupled to the first inductor and having a second return line coupled to the second inductor on a first end of the second transmission line, the second transmission line having an impedance and being in length a quarter wavelength of a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth; and

a capacitor connected between the second signal line and the second return line on a second end of the transmission line.

16. The detector circuit of claim 15 wherein the operational bandwidth comprises millimeter wave frequencies.

17. The detector circuit of claim 15 wherein the capacitor has a capacitance substantially greater than an inverse of a product of 2 pi multiplied by a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth multiplied by the impedance of the second transmission line.

18. The detector circuit of claim 15 wherein the first and second inductors are meander inductors.

19. The detector circuit of claim 15 wherein the first and second inductors are spiral inductors.

20. The detector circuit of claim 15 wherein the length of the second transmission line is a quarter wavelength of the center frequency of the operational bandwidth.

21. The detector circuit of claim 15 wherein a signal is detected by the detector circuit by detecting voltage across the capacitor.

22. The detector circuit of claim 15 wherein the detector circuit is integral to an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being approximately 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm.

23. A method of providing a detector circuit for an operational bandwidth having a center frequency, the method comprising integrating:

an input transmission line having a first signal line and a first return line;

a diode coupled to the first signal line;

a first inductor coupled in series with the diode and coupled to the first return line;

a second transmission line having a second signal line and a second return line, the second signal line coupled to the diode and the second return line coupled to the first inductor on a first end of the second transmission line, the second transmission line having an impedance and being in length a quarter wavelength of a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth; and

a capacitor connected between the second signal line and the second return line at a second end of the transmission line.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the detector circuit is integrated on an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being approximately 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising integrating a second inductor coupled between the diode and the first return line.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the first and second inductors are meander inductors or spiral inductors.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the operational bandwidth comprises millimeter wave frequencies.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein the capacitor has a capacitance substantially greater than an inverse of a product of 2 pi multiplied by a frequency near the center frequency of the operational bandwidth multiplied by the impedance of the second transmission line.