Integrated mmWave transceivers and circulators
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School of Electrical Engineering |
Doctoral thesis (article-based)
| Defence date: 2025-10-16
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Language
en
Pages
92 + app. 53
Series
Aalto University publication series Doctoral Theses, 196/2025
Abstract
Solutions for delivering the growing wireless capacity demands of future fifth-generation (5G) and sixth-generation (6G) networks typically involve expanding available bandwidth and improving spectral efficiency. In this context, millimeter-wave (mmWave) communication has attracted significant attention as a promising technology to meet the high data rate requirements of these networks by offering multi-GHz channel bandwidths. The first prototype complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuit (IC) developed as part of this thesis explores mmWave transceiver IC design techniques through the design and implementation of a hybrid heterodyne/homodyne receiver (RX) and a two-step transmitter (TX) featuring a wide modulation bandwidth. At the same time, full-duplex (FD) wireless is another emerging paradigm that can theoretically double the spectral efficiency by supporting simultaneous transmission and reception of radio signals at the same frequency. Equipping mmWave systems with FD capability will further improve the network’s spectral efficiency, allowing them to address the growing capacity needs more reliably. However, the main challenge in FD mmWave systems is the self-interference (SI) signal that leaks from a radio’s transmitter into its receiver. As a result, effective multi-stage self-interference cancellation (SIC) is required across the entire signal path, including the antenna (ANT) interface, radio frequency (RF)/analog front end, and digital domain. This thesis primarily focuses on the antenna interface, highlighting the role of integrated circulators in FD mmWave transceivers. The second and third prototype CMOS ICs reflect the innovations and contributions of this thesis toward advancing the state of the art in the field of integrated circulators across the following key areas: 1) compact die area and mmWave operation, 2) high power handling, 3) new theoretical framework for integrated circulators with unequal port impedances, and 4) single-ended implementation of switched all-pass network (APN) circulators. Additionally, the research work in this thesis was conducted in close collaboration with the antenna group, leading to the introduction of the concept of a radiating circulator for the first time. In the proposed radiating circulator structure, the reciprocal phase shift cells employed in conventional structures are eliminated, and the required functionality is achieved by co-designing the antenna with the non-reciprocal branch on the IC side. As a result, this approach offers improved efficiency and a more compact die area compared to conventional, separately designed circulators. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed radiating circulator in a practical setting, it has been integrated into a more comprehensive system, incorporating a low-noise amplifier (LNA) and a power amplifier (PA) to form an FD transceiver.Description
Supervising professor
Ryynänen, Jussi, Prof., Aalto University, Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, FinlandThesis advisor
Stadius, Kari, Dr., Aalto University, Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering, FinlandOther note
Parts
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[Publication 1]: S. Naghavi, K. Ryynänen, M. Zahra, A. Korsman, K. Stadius, M. Kosunen, and J. Ryynänen. An 18–28 GHz Dual-Mode Down-Converter IC for 5G Applications. Analog Integrated Circuits and Signal Processing, vol. 118, no. 2, pp. 187–197, January 2024.
Full text in Acris/Aaltodoc: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202402072375DOI: 10.1007/s10470-023-02232-1 View at publisher
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[Publication 2]: A.R. Saleem, S. Naghavi, M. Zahra, K. Stadius, M. Kosunen, L. Anttila, M. Valkama, and J. Ryynänen. A 6–20 GHz 400-MHz Modulation-Bandwidth CMOS Transmitter IC. In 2022 29th IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems (ICECS), Glasgow, United Kingdom, 4 pages, October 2022.
Full text in Acris/Aaltodoc: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202212227272DOI: 10.1109/ICECS202256217.2022.9971005 View at publisher
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[Publication 3]: S. Naghavi, J. Gao, K. Stadius, and J. Ryynänen. A Compact and Wideband mmWave Passive CMOS Circulator Based on Switched All-Pass Networks. IEEE Microwave and Wireless Technology Letters, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 41–44, January 2024.
Full text in Acris/Aaltodoc: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202401312246DOI: 10.1109/LMWT.2023.3329963 View at publisher
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[Publication 4]: S. Naghavi, K. Stadius, and J. Ryynänen. A mmWave Passive CMOS Circulator with Boosted Clock Signals for Enhanced Power Handling. In 2024 31th IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Circuits and Systems (ICECS), Nancy, France, 4 pages, November 2024.
Full text in Acris/Aaltodoc: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202503122753DOI: 10.1109/ICECS61496.2024.10848706 View at publisher
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[Publication 5]: S. Naghavi, K. Stadius, A. Lehtovuori, V. Viikari, and J. Ryynänen. Analysis and Design of mmWave Passive CMOS Circulators with Unequal Port Impedances. IEEE Access, vol. 13, pp. 44288-44293, March 2025.
Full text in Acris/Aaltodoc: https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202504023081DOI: 10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3549719 View at publisher
- [Publication 6]: S. Naghavi, K. Stadius, Q. Chen, J. Vähä, T. Valerie, G. Leelarathne, A. Salmi, A. Lehtovuori, V. Viikari, and J. Ryynänen. A 20-25 GHz Full-Duplex Transceiver IC with a Radiating Circulator. Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, May 2025