Not Just a Phase: Outphasing Power Amplifiers

Performing RF amplification in a way that is simultaneously linear and efficient has long been a challenge in power amplifier (PA) design. In short, single-transistor PAs can either be operated in a linear (but inefficient) current-source mode of operation or as efficient (but nonlinear) switches, but these two modes are mutually exclusive. The outphasing concept has been explored to address this tradeoff by using efficient but nonlinear elements in an architecture providing linear output power control.

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