Feature: MMW
The highest possible isolation occurs when the reverse wave is rotated exactly 45° into the plane of the isolator’s resistive layer
Advances in isolator design make possible stratospheric operating frequencies
By Dr. Dave Rizzo, US-based technology writer
Harnessing isolators To counteract the problem of standing waves at lower microwave frequencies, engineers rely on Faraday rotation isolators, simply known as isolators. At its very basic level, an isolator is a two-port, input component that allows EM signals to pass in one direction but absorbs them the other way. However, traditional isolators fall short at the higher frequencies required for next-generation wireless applications. A big part of the problem is that the first isolators were designed
more than half a century ago, with very few modifications since. With recent advancements, however, companies at the cutting edge of MMW technologies are now launching products that operate optimally at stratospheric frequencies. “Te new waveguide isolators have been a key enabling
I
t doesn’t take much guessing to know where the future of wireless is heading. With 5G, 6G and beyond, ultra-high definition video, autonomous cars, security applications and IoT, the sky’s the limit for harnessing the higher ends of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum, frequencies between 30GHz and 500GHz, known as the millimeter
wave (MMW) bands. Yet, these higher frequencies present a significant problem that
design engineers must address – that of standing waves. Without control, these unwanted waves can attenuate power output, distort the carrier’s information and, in extreme cases, even damage internal components.
20 September/October 2020
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
technology and a large advance from what was previously available,” said Jeffrey Hesler, CTO of Virginia Diodes (VDI), manufacturer of state-of-the-art test and measurement equipment, such as vector network analyser, spectrum analyser and signal generator extension modules, for MMW and THz applications. “Te compact size, extremely low insertion loss and wide
bandwidth have allowed us to use isolators in a wider variety of systems than was previously possible, leading to significant improvements in key system performance metrics such as source power and sensitivity,” said Hesler. By understanding these advancements in each of the five
properties of isolator functionality, designers can better harness isolators to improve their MMW products:
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