A ×18 340 GHz InP HEMT multiplier chain

We demonstrate a ×18 340 GHz multiplier chain using 25 nm InP HEMT technology. The active multiplier chain's topology consists of three packaged MMICs in two split-block waveguide packages. The multiplier chain uses HEMT multipliers with integrated output buffers to convert an input frequency centered at 18.8 GHz to 340 GHz. The presented work demonstrates an electronically tunable multiplier chain outputting a peak power of 8 dBm at 340 GHz while consuming only 445 mW of DC power. This gives a peak efficiency of 1.4% for the ×18 entire chain. This demonstrates that adding power amplification to the output significantly enhances the efficiency of submillimeter wave power generation using multiplier chains.