Design of a high-efficiency bandwidth-enhanced power amplifier based on dual-paths impedance matching techniques

In this brief, we propose a bandwidth-enhanced dual-paths impedance matching technique that can effectively match the four preset design frequency points in the operating frequency band to the optimal impedance region provided by a series of inverse continuous modes (SICMs), thus realizing the bandwidth expansion and efficiency improvement of the power amplifier (PA). To verify the proposed design theory, a multi-octave PA component was designed, fabricated, and measured with a 10-W GaN HEMT device. The implemented PA exhibits superior performance, with a relative bandwidth of 142.9% in the bandwidth range of 0.55-3.3 GHz. Moreover, the 39.1-42 dBm output power, 60.1%-76.2% drain efficiency (DE), and 9.1-12 dB gain are also achieved in the target band. Based on the simulated and measured results, the effectiveness of the proposed design theory is further confirmed.