Work

Automated Broadband Power Amplifier Design via Circuit-Graph Evolution and Layout-Aware Synthesis

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This article presents an automated design framework for broadband power amplifiers (PAs) based on a graph-driven evolutionary optimization approach. In the proposed framework, the input and output matching networks are represented as graphs and jointly synthesized in both the topology and parameter spaces to optimize the small- and large-signal performance of the PA. This approach enables the automated synthesis of physically realizable broadband source and load impedance trajectories without relying on predefined circuit templates. In addition, a graph-to-layout generation methodology is introduced to automatically translate the evolved circuit graphs into manufacturable layouts while incorporating electromagnetic (EM)-aware optimization. The proposed framework is experimentally validated through the design and fabrication of a 10-W GaN PA operating from 3.2 to 4.3 GHz and supporting 1 GHz instantaneous modulation bandwidth across the 5G NR n77 band. The fabricated prototype achieves a peak output power of 41.6 ± 0.8 dBm and a peak power-added efficiency (PAE) ranging from 40% to 63% across the operating band. Under excitation with a 1 GHz 5G NR 256-QAM OFDM signal exhibiting a 9-dB peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR), the PA achieves an adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of −52.7 dBc and an error vector magnitude (EVM) of 0.66% after digital predistortion (DPD) using a complexity-reduced Volterra-series model.

Source: IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

DOI: 10.1109/tmtt.2026.3724479

Authors: Yuxuan Chen, Hang Yu, Zi Jun Su, Slim Boumaiza

Institution: University of Waterloo

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Power Amplifier Design

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,645