Microwave active notch filter and operating method with photonic bandgap crystal feedback loop

• US 5,818,309 A
• Filed: 12/21/1996
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: De Los Santos, Hector J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ham, Seungsook
• Application Number:
  US08/771,609
• Time in Patent Office: 654 Days
• Field of Search: 333/176, 333/202, 333/219, 333/219.1, 333/235, 331/96, 331/117 D
• US Class Current: 333/176
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/20 Frequency-selective devices, e.g. filters
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/2005 Electromagnetic photonic bandgaps [EPB], or photonic bandgaps [PBG]
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/126 using a single operational amplifier H03H11/1204 takes precedence; parallel-T filters H03H11/1295

Abstract

An active microwave notch filter is formed by connecting a photonic bandgap crystal (PBC) in a feedback loop around a microwave amplifier. The PBC has an attenuation bandgap which establishes a frequency range of preferential amplification. Frequency selectivity can be achieved by applying signals to the dielectric members which form the PBC to vary their dielectric constants, and thus the bandgap, or by selecting among multiple parallel PBCs. Antennas are provided to transduce the electrical input to the PBC into electromagnetic radiation, and then back to an electrical signal after the radiation has been filtered by the PBC.

Claims

1. An active notch filter, comprising:

an amplifier with an input for receiving an electrical microwave input signal and an output; and

a first photonic bandgap crystal (PBC) having an aperiodic dispersion relation connected in a feedback loop between said amplifier'"'"'s input and output, said crystal having at least one frequency bandgap within which it substantially attenuates the transmission of electromagnetic radiation, said PBC'"'"'s aperiodic dispersion relation causing said crystal to substantially pass the transmission of electromagnetic radiation at harmonic frequencies of said frequency bandgap so that the notch filter operates stably, said feedback loop causing said amplifier to impart a greater amplification to signals within said bandgap than to signals outside of said bandgap so that the amplifier and the PBC together filter and amplify the microwave input signal simultaneously thereby enhancing signal sensitivity.

2. The active notch filter of claim 1, said amplifier comprising a microwave amplifier.

3. The active notch filter of claim 2, said amplifier comprising a field effect transistor (FET) or a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) amplifier.

4. The active notch filter of claim 1, wherein said PBC includes a housing that forms a waveguide cavity.

5. The active notch filter of claim 4, said housing including opposed end walls with respective antennas extending into the cavity through said walls, one of said antennas being activated by the amplifier output to transmit electromagnetic radiation into the cavity, and the other antenna producing a feedback signal for said feedback loop in response to radiation received from said cavity.

6. The active notch filter of claim 5, wherein said antennas are connected in said feedback loop by microstrip lines.

7. The active notch filter of claim 4, wherein said PBC comprises an array of spaced dielectric members that establish the PBC'"'"'s frequency response.

8. The active notch filter of claim 7, wherein said dielectric members have dielectric constants that vary in response to a voltage applied across the dielectric members establish a frequency response having a passband within a stopband, further comprising electrical connectors for applying a voltage across said members to vary the location of the passband in said stopband.

9. The active notch filter of claim 7, wherein said dielectric members are in the form of rods.

10. The active notch filter of claim 7, further comprising at least one switch for interconnecting at least one pair of said dielectric members to vary the filter'"'"'s frequency response.

11. The active notch filter of claim 1, in which said PBC includes at least one defect that introduces a passband within said bandgap.

12. The active notch filter of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional PBC connected in said feedback loop parallel to said first PBC.

13. The active notch filter of claim 12, wherein each additional PBC has a frequency response different from said first PBC, and further comprising a switching network for switching selected sets of said PBCs into said feedback loop to control the filter'"'"'s frequency response.

14. The active notch filter of claim 12, further comprising a switching network for switching selected sets of said PBCs into said feedback loop to control the filter'"'"'s frequency response.

15. The active notch filter of claim 1, said feedback loop including a difference node connected to receive the output of said PBC and an input to the filter as differential inputs, said difference node having an output connected to the amplifier input.

16. A method of filtering an electrical microwave input signal, comprising:

obtaining the difference between said input signal and an electrical feedback signal to produce a difference signal,

amplifying said difference signal to produce an electrical output signal, and

generating said feedback signal by transducing said output signal into electromagnetic radiation, transmitting said radiation through a photonic bandgap crystal (PBC) having an aperiodic dispersion relation to attenuate a selected frequency band while passing the harmonic frequencies of said selected frequency band to insure stable operation, and transducing said filtered radiation back into said feedback signal,

said feedback signal causing input signals within said selected frequency band to be simultaneously filtered and amplified thereby enhancing signal sensitivity.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of varying said selected frequency band to vary the frequencies of preferential amplification.

18. The method of claim 17, said PBC including an array of dielectric members that establish its frequency response having a passband within a stopband, further comprising the step of varying the dielectric constants of said members to vary the location of the passband in said stopband.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said dielectric constants are varied by applying a voltage across the members that are responsible for creating the passband.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of varying the PBC through which the radiation is filtered to vary said selected frequency band.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the PBC through which the radiation is filtered is varied by selecting among multiple parallel PBCs.