Nonradiative dielectric waveguide is a transmission medium for millimeter-wave integrated circuits, invented in Japan. This transmission line is characterized by low transmission loss and non-radiating nature in bends and discontinuities. It has been actively researched from 1980 to 2000, primarily at Tohoku University. This paper explains the fundamental characteristics, including passive and active circuits, and provides an overview of millimeter-wave systems such as gigabit-class ultra-high-speed data transmission applications and various radar applications. Furthermore, the performance in the THz frequency band, where future applications are anticipated, is also discussed.

Numerous meteorological disasters recur almost annually. One of the most effective means to observe these phenomena causing such disasters is meteorological radar. A group comprising Toshiba, the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), and Osaka University has developed an X-band phased array radar, improving observation time from the conventional 10-minute duration to just 30 seconds by using phased array technology. The initial radar was installed at Osaka University in May 2012, and was recently replaced by a dual-polarization one. Phased array radar has demonstrated superior temporal and spatial resolution compared to conventional radars and has shown equivalent accuracy in observing variables such as rain rate. Future research is expected to illuminate the advantages and limitations of dual-polarization phased array radar networks, fostering their widespread adoption not only in Japan but also globally.

There has been a growing interest in the application of radar technology to the monitoring of humans and animals and their positions, motions, activities, and vital signs. Radar can be used, for example, to remotely measure vital signs such as respiration and heartbeat without contact. Radar-based human sensing is expected to be adopted in a variety of fields, such as medicine, healthcare, and entertainment, but what can be realized by radar-based animal sensing? This paper reviews the latest research trends in the noncontact sensing of animals using radar systems. We also present examples of our past radar experiments for the respiratory measurement of monkeys and the heartbeat measurement of chimpanzees. The trends in this field are reviewed in terms of the target animal species, type of vital sign, and radar type and selection of frequencies.

Japan encounters an urgent issue of “Carbon Neutrality” as a member of the international world and is required to make the action plans to accomplish this issue, i.e., the zero emission of CO₂ by 2050. Our world must change the industries to adapt to the electrification based on the renewable powers. Microwave chemistry is a candidate of electrification of industries for the carbon neutrality on the conditions of usage of renewable energy power generation. This invited paper shows an example of “Microwave Pidgeon process” for smelting magnesium in which heating with burning fossil coals can be replaced with microwave energy for discussing how microwave technology should be developed for that purpose from both the academic and industrial sides.

GaN solid state power amplifiers (SSPA) for wireless power transfer and microwave heating have been reviewed. For wireless power transfer, 9 W output power with 79% power added efficiency at 5.8 GHz has been achieved. For microwave heating, 450 W output power with 70% drain efficiency at 2.45 GHz has been achieved. Microwave power concentration and uniform microwave heating by phase control of multiple SSPAs are demonstrated.

In Japan, research on spatial transmission Wireless Power Transfer/Transmission (WPT) for long-distance power transmission has been conducted ahead of the rest of the world; however, until 2022, there has been no category under the Radio Law, and it has been treated as an experimental station. The authors are working on Japanese institutionalization (revision of ministerial ordinances) and global standardization of this spatial transmission WPT for social implementation. This paper describes the Japanese and international institutionalization and standardization trends. In addition, as the latest trend in R&D trends, as the next step of institutionalization, the author introduces two national projects that are being worked on by industry, academia, and government for Step 2, which can be used for a wider range of applications by relaxing the scope of use and restrictions from Step 1, which has various restrictions. The first is about the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP) Phase 2. In SIP Phase 2, we conducted R&D on “WPT system for sensor networks and mobile devices”. This R&D is research on detecting and avoiding people so that radio exposure does not exceed protection guidelines and detecting incumbent radios and avoiding harmful interference so that more power can be transmitted under coexistence conditions. The other is “Research and Development for Expansion of Radio Resources” to be conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), which is scheduled for four years from FY2022. This is also a more concrete research and development project for Step 2 institutionalization, along with the results of the SIP mentioned above.

This paper presents a comprehensive design approach to load-independent radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers. We project the zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) and zero-voltage-derivative-switching (ZVDS) load impedances onto a Smith chart, and find that their loci exhibit geodesic arcs. We exploit a two-port reactive network to convert the geodesic locus into another geodesic. This is named geodesic-to-geodesic (G2G) impedance conversion, and the power amplifier that employs G2G conversion is called class-G2G amplifier. We comprehensively explore the possible circuit topologies, and find that there are twenty G2G networks to create class-G2G amplifiers. We also find out that the class-G2G amplifier behaves like a transformer or a gyrator converting from dc to RF. The G2G design theory is verified via a circuit simulation. We also verified the theory through an experiment employing a prototype 100 W amplifier at 6.78 MHz. We conclude that the presented design approach is quite comprehensive and useful for the future development of high-efficiency RF power amplifiers.

The load-independent zero-voltage switching class-E inverter has garnered considerable interest as an essential component in wireless power transfer systems. This inverter achieves high efficiency across a broad spectrum of load conditions by incorporating a load adjustment circuit (LAC) subsequent to the resonant filter. Nevertheless, the presence of the LAC influences the output impedance of the inverter, thereby inducing a divergence between the targeted and observed output power, even in ideal lossless simulations. Consequently, iterative adjustments to component values are required via an LC element implementation. We introduce a novel design methodology that incorporates an external quality factor on the side of the resonant filter, inclusive of the LAC. Thus, the optimized circuit achieves the intended output power without necessitating alterations in component values.

This study introduces a novel single-diode rectenna, enhancing the rf-dc conversion efficiency using harmonic control of the antenna impedance. We employ source-pull simulations encompassing the fundamental frequency and the harmonics to achieve a highly efficient rectenna. The results of the source-pull simulations delineate the source-impedance ranges required for enhanced efficiency at each harmonic. Based on the source-pull simulation results, we designed two inverted-F antenna with input impedances within and without these identified source impedance ranges. Experimental results show that the proposed rectenna has a maximum rf-dc conversion efficiency of 75.9% at the fundamental frequency of 920 MHz, an input power of 10.8 dBm, and a load resistance of 1 kΩ, which is higher than that of the comparative rectenna without harmonic control of the antenna impedance. This study demonstrates that the proposed rectenna achieves high efficiency through the direct connection of the antenna and the single diode, along with harmonic control of the antenna impedance.

This paper proposes a novel configuration for a wideband single-carrier transmitter using a sub-terahertz frequency. For wideband single-carrier transmission over a bandwidth of several gigahertz, the frequency response non-flatness derived from transmitter components in an operating band seriously deteriorates the transmission quality due to inter-symbol interference. A promising approach to address this problem is equalizing the frequency response non-flatness at the transmitter. The proposed novel configuration has a feedback route for calculating the inverse frequency response and multiplying it with a transmission signal spectrum in the frequency domain. Moreover, we verify that employing the proposed transmitter configuration simplifies the receiver configuration by lowering the calculation complexity to minimize the inter-symbol interference to meet the signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio requirements. To confirm the feasibility of the proposed configuration, the transmission quality obtained using the proposed configuration is measured and evaluated. Experimental results confirm that the proposed configuration improves the error vector magnitude value to over 5 dB for a 10 Gbaud transmission and the transmission data rate of 25 Gbps.

We propose microwave heating via electromagnetic coupling using zeroth-order resonators (ZORs) to extend the uniform heating area. ZORs can generate resonant modes with a wavenumber of 0, which corresponds to an infinite guide wavelength. Under this condition, uniform heating is expected because the resulting standing waves would not have nodes or antinodes. In the design proposed in this paper, two ZORs fabricated on dielectric substrates are arranged to face each other for electromagnetic coupling, and a sample placed between the resonators is heated. A single ZOR was investigated using a 3D electromagnetic simulator, and the resonant frequency and electric field distribution of the simulated ZOR were confirmed to be in good agreement with those of the fabricated ZOR. Simulations of two ZORs facing each other were then conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed system as a heating apparatus. It was found that a resonator spacing of 25 mm was suitable for uniform heating. Heating simulations of SiC and Al₂O₃ sheets were performed with the obtained structure. The heating uniformity was evaluated by the width L_50% over which the power loss distribution exceeds half the maximum value. This evaluation index was equal to 0.397λ₀ for SiC and 0.409λ₀ for Al₂O₃, both of which exceed λ₀/4, the distance between a neighboring node and antinode of a standing wave, where λ₀ is the free-space wavelength. Therefore, the proposed heating apparatus is effective for uniform microwave heating. Because of the different electrical parameters of the heated materials, SiC can be easily heated, whereas Al₂O₃ heats little. Finally, heating experiments were performed on each of these materials. Good uniformity in temperature was obtained for both SiC and Al₂O₃ sheets.

A double step attenuation measurement technique using a non-isolating gauge block attenuator (GBA) has been proposed for accurate measurements of radio frequency and microwave high attenuation. For fixed attenuator as a device under test (DUT), a medium value (≤ 60 dB) attenuator is used as the GBA which connected directly between the test ports, then high attenuation of the DUT is measured in two setups as follows. 1) Thru and GBA with normal power level and 2) GBA and DUT with higher power level. This approach removes the need to isolate the GBA, therefore, accurate measurements of high attenuation can be obtained simply over a broad frequency range. For variable or step attenuator as a DUT, one of the attenuation sections of the DUT is applied as the GBA. Detailed analyses and those verification measurements are carried out both for fixed attenuator, as well as for variable attenuator and show good agreement.

Considering the non-convexity of hybrid precoding and the hardware constraints of practical systems, a hybrid precoding architecture, which combines limited-resolution overlapped phase shifter networks with lens array, is investigated. The analogy part is a beam selection network composed of overlapped low-resolution phase shifter networks. In particular, in the proposed hybrid precoding algorithm, the analog precoding improves array gain by utilizing the quantization beam alignment method, whereas the digital precoding schemes multiplexing gain by adopting a Wiener Filter precoding scheme with a minimum mean square error criterion. Finally, in the sparse scattering millimeter-wave channel for the uniform linear array, the proposed method is compared with the existing scheme by computer simulation by using the ideal channel state information and the non-ideal channel state information. It is concluded that the proposed scheme performs better in low signal-to-noise regions and can achieve a good compromise between system performance and hardware complexity.

In this paper, we delve into wireless communications in the 300 GHz band, focusing in particular on the continuous bandwidth of 44 GHz from 252 GHz to 296 GHz, positioning it as a pivotal element in the trajectory toward 6G communications. While terahertz communications have traditionally been praised for the high speeds they can achieve using their wide bandwidth, focusing the beam has also shown the potential to achieve high energy efficiency and support numerous simultaneous connectivity. To this end, new performance metrics, EIRP_λ and EINF_λ, are introduced as important benchmarks for transmitter and receiver performance, and their consistency is discussed. We then show that, assuming conventional bandwidth and communication capacity, the communication distance is independent of carrier frequency. Located between radio waves and light in the electromagnetic spectrum, terahertz waves promise to usher in a new era of wireless communications characterized not only by high-speed communication, but also by convenience and efficiency. Improvements in antenna gain, beam focusing, and precise beam steering are essential to its realization. As these technologies advance, the paradigm of wireless communications is expected to be transformed. The synergistic effects of antenna gain enhancement, beam focusing, and steering will not only push high-speed communications to unprecedented levels, but also lay the foundation for a wireless communications landscape defined by unparalleled convenience and efficiency. This paper will discuss a future in which terahertz communications will reshape the contours of wireless communications as the realization of such technological breakthroughs draws near.

Recent years have seen a general resurgence of interest in analog signal processing and computing architectures. In addition, extensive theoretical and experimental literature on chaos and analog chaotic oscillators exists. One peculiarity of these circuits is the ability to generate, despite their structural simplicity, complex spatiotemporal patterns when several of them are brought towards synchronization via coupling mechanisms. While by no means a systematic survey, this paper provides a personal perspective on this area. After briefly covering design aspects and the synchronization phenomena that can arise, a selection of results exemplifying potential applications is presented, including in robot control, distributed sensing, reservoir computing, and data augmentation. Despite their interesting properties, the industrial applications of these circuits remain largely to be realized, seemingly due to a variety of technical and organizational factors including a paucity of design and optimization techniques. Some reflections are given regarding this situation, the potential relevance to discontinuous innovation in analog circuit design of chaotic oscillators taken both individually and as synchronized networks, and the factors holding back the transition to higher levels of technology readiness.

This paper describes a programmable differential bandgap reference (PD-BGR) for ultra-low-power IoT (Internet-of-Things) edge node devices. The PD-BGR consists of a current generator (CG) and differential voltage generator (DVG). The CG is based on a bandgap reference (BGR) and generates an operating current and a voltage, while the DVG generates another voltage from the current. A differential voltage reference can be obtained by taking the voltage difference from the voltages. The PD-BGR can produce a programmable differential output voltage by changing the multipliers of MOSFETs in a differential pair and resistance with digital codes. Simulation results showed that the proposed PD-BGR can generate 25- to 200-mV reference voltages with a 25-mV step within a ±0.7% temperature inaccuracy in a temperature range from -20 to 100°C. A Monte Carlo simulation showed that the coefficient of the variation in the reference was within 1.1%. Measurement results demonstrated that our prototype chips can generate stable programmable differential output voltages, almost the same results as those of the simulation. The average power consumption was only 88.4 nW, with a voltage error of -4/+3 mV with 5 samples.

Extremely low-voltage charge pump (ELV-CP) and its dedicated multi-stage driver (MS-DRV) for sub-60-mV thermoelectric energy harvesting are proposed. The proposed MS-DRV utilizes the output voltages of each ELV-CP to efficiently boost the control clock signals. The boosted clock signals are used as switching signals for each ELV-CP and MS-DRV to turn switch transistors on and off. Moreover, reset transistors are added to the MS-DRV to ensure an adequate non-overlapping period between switching signals. Measurement results demonstrated that the proposed MS-DRV can generate boosted clock signals of 350 mV from input voltage of 60 mV. The ELV-CP can boost the input voltage of 100 mV with 10.7% peak efficiency. The proposed ELV-CP and MS-DRV can boost the low input voltage of 56 mV.

This paper introduces a wireless-powered relay transceiver designed to extend 5G millimeter-wave coverage. It employs an on-chip butler matrix, enabling beam control-free operation. The prototype includes PCB array antennas and on-chip butler matrix and rectifiers manufactured using a Si CMOS 65 nm process. The relay transceiver performs effectively in beam angles from -45° to 45°. In the 24 GHz wireless power transmission (WPT) mode, it generates 0.12 mW with 0 dBm total input power, boasting an RF-DC conversion efficiency of 12.2%. It also demonstrates communication performance at 28 GHz in both RX and TX modes with a 100 MHz bandwidth and 64QAM modulation.

In this work, fluctuation patterns of ReRAM current are classified automatically by proposed fluctuation pattern classifier (FPC). FPC is trained with artificially created dataset to overcome the difficulties of measured current signals, including the annotation cost and imbalanced data amount. Using FPC, fluctuation occurrence under different write conditions is analyzed for both HRS and LRS current. Based on the measurement and classification results, physical models of fluctuations are established.

Integrating RGB and event sensors improves object detection accuracy, especially during the night, due to the high-dynamic range of event camera. However, introducing an event sensor leads to an increase in computational resources, which makes the implementation of RGB-event fusion multi-modal AI to CiM difficult. To tackle this issue, this paper proposes RGB-Event fusion Multi-modal analog Computation-in-Memory (CiM), called REM-CiM, for multi-modal edge object detection AI. In REM-CiM, two proposals about multi-modal AI algorithms and circuit implementation are co-designed. First, Memory capacity-Efficient Attentional Feature Pyramid Network (MEA-FPN), the model architecture for RGB-event fusion analog CiM, is proposed for parameter-efficient RGB-event fusion. Convolution-less bi-directional calibration (C-BDC) in MEA-FPN extracts important features of each modality with attention modules, while reducing the number of weight parameters by removing large convolutional operations from conventional BDC. Proposed MEA-FPN w/ C-BDC achieves a 76% reduction of parameters while maintaining mean Average Precision (mAP) degradation to < 2.3% during both day and night, compared with Attentional FPN fusion (A-FPN), a conventional BDC-adopted FPN fusion. Second, the low-bit quantization with clipping (LQC) is proposed to reduce area/energy. Proposed REM-CiM with MEA-FPN and LQC achieves almost the same memory cells, 21% less ADC area, 24% less ADC energy and 0.17% higher mAP than conventional FPN fusion CiM without LQC.

In this work, we propose a 1T1R ReRAM CiM architecture for Hyperdimensional Computing (HDC). The number of Source Lines and Bit Lines is reduced by introducing memory cells that are connected in series, which is especially advantageous when using a 3D implementation. The results of CiM operations contain errors, but HDC is robust against them, so that even if the XNOR operation has an error of 25%, the inference accuracy remains above 90%.