Passive Intermodulation Distortion in Radio Frequency Communication Systems

WILKERSON, JONATHAN RYAN. Passive Intermodulation Distortion in Radio Frequency Communication Systems. (Under the direction of Professor Michael B. Steer and Kevin G. Gard). Passive intermodulation distortion can interfere with intended communications signals limiting the capacity and range of a communications system. Many physical mechanisms have been suggested as causes of passive intermodulation distortion. The description of these mechanisms are generally limited to empirical or behavioral models rather than physical descriptions due to the difficulty in isolating passive intermodulation mechanisms. Measurement of passive intermodulation distortion is complicated by the weakly nonlinear behavior of passive components, inhibiting the physical isolation of passive intermodulation producing mechanisms. The dynamic range required to measure the weak nonlinearities of these components can often exceed 100 decibels. A broadband measurement system based on feed-forward cancellation possessing dynamic range in excess of 113 decibels is constructed to overcome passive intermodulation measurement difficulties. Electro-thermal distortion is found to be a dominant passive intermodulation source with a defined noninteger order Laplacian behavior. This behavior results in long-tail transients and a well defined thermal dispersion characteristic in the generated passive intermodulation distortion that cannot easily be explained by integer order differential equations. A fractional calculus description of the phenomena is introduced, accurately modeling both long-tail transients and thermal frequency dispersion. The physics behind electro-thermal distortion is derived analytically for general lumped, lossy microwave components, transmission lines, and antennas. Microwave attenuators, terminations, integrated circuit resistors, transmission lines, and antennas are manufactured to isolate the electro-thermal phenomena. The developed high dynamic range measurement system is used to characterize the thermal dispersion characteristic in the generated passive intermodulation distortion for each manufactured component. Electro-thermal conductivity modulation, dependent only on material parameters, is shown to be a dominant passive intermodulation source in all passive microwave circuits. c ©Copyright 2010 by Jonathan Ryan Wilkerson all rights reserved Passive Intermodulation Distortion in Radio Frequency Communication Systems by Jonathan Ryan Wilkerson A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fullfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Electrical Engineering

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