Passive Intermodulation Generation on Printed Lines: Near-Field Probing and Observations

The phenomenological mechanisms of passive intermodulation (PIM) in printed lines have been explored by mapping intermodulation products generated by the two-tone traveling waves in microstrip lines. Near-field probing based upon a commercial PIM analyzer has been employed for identification of the PIM sources in printed lines. The results of extensive near-field probing provide the direct experimental evidences of cumulative growth of the intermodulation products in the matched uniform microstrip lines and reveal the fundamental role of the nonlinear scattering by the lumped nonlinear inclusions in the intermodulation production. The distributed nature of the PIM generation in microstrip lines has been conclusively demonstrated and comprehensively described in terms of the four-wave mixing process that proved to be fully consistent with the results of experimental observations of third-order PIM products on the matched and mismatched microstrip lines.

[1]  J. Francey,et al.  Distributed sources of passive intermodulation on printed lines , 2005, 2005 IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society International Symposium.

[2]  B. Gimeno,et al.  Experimental Analysis of Passive Intermodulation at Waveguide Flange Bolted Connections , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[3]  David D. Wentzloff,et al.  IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques and Antennas and Propagation Announce a Joint Special Issue on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Technology , 2010 .

[4]  M.B. Steer,et al.  Electro-Thermal Passive Intermodulation Distortion in Microwave Attenuators , 2006, 2006 European Microwave Conference.

[5]  Vincent Fusco,et al.  Passive intermodulation in printed lines: effects of trace dimensions and substrate , 2009 .

[6]  Muhammad Taher Abuelma'atti.  Prediction of passive intermodulation arising from corrosion , 2003 .

[7]  N. Bloembergen.  Historical Reminiscences About Nonlinear Optical Talk Materials , 1990, Digest on Nonlinear Optics: Materials, Phenomena and Devices.

[8]  B. A. Auld,et al.  Traveling‐Wave Harmonic Generation Along Nonlinear Transmission Lines , 1962 .

[9]  P L Aspden,et al.  Evaluation of the Intermodulation Product Performance of Reflector Antennas and Related Structures by Microwave Imaging , 1989, 1989 19th European Microwave Conference.

[10]  Vincent F. Fusco,et al.  Mapping of passive intermodulation products on microstrip lines , 2008, 2008 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.

[11]  Alexander Schuchinsky,et al.  Effect of Matching on Passive Intermodulation in Transmission Lines with Distributed Nonlinear Resistance , 2007 .

[12]  Lake Hugh Muntz.  OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL , 2008 .

[13]  T. Olsson,et al.  Passive intermodulation on microstrip lines , 2007, 2007 European Microwave Conference.

[14]  G. Macchiarella,et al.  Experimental study of passive intermodulation in coaxial cavities for cellular base stations duplexers , 2004, 34th European Microwave Conference, 2004..

[15]  A.V. Raisanen,et al.  Passive intermodulation near-field measurements on microstrip lines , 2004, 34th European Microwave Conference, 2004..

[16]  Zhang Shi-quan,et al.  The Generation Mechanism and Analysis 0f Passive Intermodulation in Metallic Contacts , 2006, The 2006 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Environmental Electromagnetics.

[17]  Nicolaas Bloembergen,et al.  Nonlinear Optics , 1977 .

[18]  P. Russer,et al.  Phenomenological Modeling of Passive Intermodulation (PIM) due to Electron Tunneling at Metallic Contacts , 2006, 2006 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest.