A 2.3GHz single-ended energy recovery rectifier with stepped-impedance resonator for improved efficiency of outphasing amplifier

This paper proposes an energy recovery rectifier suitable for the use in outphasing and/or linear amplification with nonlinear components (LINC) transmitters. The proposed application oriented rectifier consists of a high-efficiency resistive rectifier and a stepped-impedance resonator (SIR) which stores the energy in order to reduce load sensitivity of the circuit. The rectifier is designed including harmonic frequency control to improve conversion efficiency and to provide a resistive input impedance at the fundamental frequency. The proposed rectifier has been implemented in hybrid technology. The fabricated circuit provides peak RF-to-DC efficiency of 73.5 % at 2.3 GHz and more than 60 % over a dynamic range of 8 dB. Furthermore, measurements show good agreement with simulation results.