High-Efficiency Wideband Linear Amplifier (HEWLA)

Future Navy operations require the capability for multiple, simultaneous Radio Frequency (RF) transmissions to different personnel in different geographical locations, requiring multiple, RF transmitted beams in different directions across a wide, RF carrier bandwidth. When multiple, widely spaced signals are amplified simultaneously by a non-linear, efficient Power Amplifier (PA), the linearity and efficiency degrade due to the resulting, high peak-to-average power ratio envelope waveform. Current RF Power Amplifier (RFPA) designs have difficulty producing the linearity performance required without reduction in the RF output power, bandwidth, and efficiency. Commercial products and applications have not met these Navy requirements due to limitations in allocated bandwidth and shorter link ranges as compared to military links.  During Phase II, the Team will investigate these new PA requirements for integration into an active phased array that meets the Navy’s communications needs. For Phase II, we will prototype the wideband, efficient, linear RFPA designed in Phase I,  with a 500 MHz RF bandwidth within C band (4-6 GHz), capable of transmitting multiple, simultaneous narrowband signals with a variable peak power from 36 to 46 dBm.