A continuous-mode harmonically tuned 19-to-29.5GHz ultra-linear PA supporting 18Gb/s at 18.4% modulation PAE and 43.5% peak PAE

Abstract

The 5th generation (5G) mm-wave systems are expected to support wideband spectrum-efficient modulations (e.g., 64-QAM or 256-QAM) to achieve Gb/s-link-throughput revolution. These complex modulation schemes, however, often come with high-density constellations that demand stringent linearity, i.e. AM-AM and AM-PM, on the mm-wave front-end circuits, in particular, the power amplifiers (PAs). In addition, to support future massive MIMOs, the mm-wave front-ends should be ultra-efficient in both their energy efficiency and area usage, posing even more constraints on the PA designs [1-5].