Theoretical design and implementation of equal and unequal split ultra-wide band Wilkinson power divider with Chebyshev impedance transform

In this study, we designed multi-section UWB Wilkinson power dividers for both equal and unequal power divider. The key innovation is successfully matching these power dividers using the Chebyshev method. The proposed method achieves very low insertion losses and high transmission coefficients across the ports. For the three-section equal power divider, Chebyshev polynomials were used to model the reflection coefficient, and the characteristic impedance for each section was calculated symmetrically. The design achieved a fractional bandwidth of 106% for a 20 dB return loss, with an insertion loss of 0.3 dB. For unequal multi-section dividers, power division ratios of 1.5:1 and 2:1 were chosen. Theoretical microwave calculations were used to determine the input and output transmission line impedances. Chebyshev approximation was then applied to design the three-section unequal power dividers. The return losses for these unequal dividers were measured at 17 dB and 15 dB, with fractional bandwidths of 120% and 126%. Both circuits had insertion losses of 0.25 dB. The consistent results from analytical calculations, simulations, and measurements confirm the effectiveness of the Chebyshev method for both equal and unequal power division.