Design of tunable balanced amplifier using ferroelectric materials

The non-linear electric field dependence of ferroelectric thin films can be used to design frequency and phase agile components. It is well known from the literature that ferroelectric-based tunable microwave component can easily be integrated into conventional microstrip circuits. These components are particularly attractive for broad-band and multi-frequency applications. However, most efforts have focused on the careful characterization of tunable passive devices while active components have been occasionally reported. In this work, simulated results from a full wave electromagnetic simulator are obtained to show the tunability of a quadrature hybrid made of Ba(x)Sr(1-x)TiO(3) (BSTO) ferroelectric thin film on MgO. The S-parameters of this passive structure are estimated for different bias conditions for the BSTO and used in the simulation of tunable balanced amplifier. Simulations of this type of amplifier are shown with and without matching networks.