Energy-Efficient Techniques for RF and Microwave Power Circuits

Abstract:  The development of 5G wireless communication systems presents a great challenge in the development of microwave front-end hardware. Next-generation systems demand not only increased capacity in terms of increased data rates and modulation bandwidths and across carrier aggregation, but also require linear and efficient operation over a wide output power dynamic range. With the RF power amplifier (PA) dominating the power consumption, bandwidth, and linearity limitations, new PA architectures are required to satisfy system requirements. Furthermore, the use of massive MIMO systems present new challenges to the PA, including generating a time-varying load impedance due to simultaneous use of coupled antennas, and preventing element-level linearity correction.
 

This seminar will focus on new power amplifier techniques for communications that address the challenges of next-generation systems while maintaining energy-efficient operation. A three-pronged approach is described, consisting of (1) energy-efficient power amplifier design, (2) analog techniques for signal generation and linearization, and (3) integrated load sensing and power amplifier adaptation. 

Bio:  Prof. Taylor Barton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she holds the Lockheed Martin Faculty Fellowship for outstanding junior faculty. Prior to joining CU Boulder in 2016, she was an Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Dallas for two years, and a post-doctoral associate in the Microsystems Technology Laboratories at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prof. Barton received the Sc.D from MIT for her research in energy-efficient power amplifiers for wireless communications, and also holds Sc.B., M.Eng., and E.E. degrees from MIT's EECS department. She received the Goodwin Medal for conspicuously effective teaching at MIT and the Analog Devices Outstanding Student Designer Award in 2011, and received the AFSOR YIP in 2018 and NSF CAREER award in 2019.