Acoustoelectric Amplifier With 1.2-dB Insertion Gain Monolithic Graphene Construction and Continuous Wave Operation

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering

Background:

• The acoustoelectric effect has been researched for years without a successful manufacturable continuous wave (CW) acoustoelectric amplifier (AEA) demonstrating insertion gain.
• Achieving net insertion gain in an AEA has remained a significant challenge in the field.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the design and experimental results of a monolithic coupled acoustoelectric amplifier (CAEA) integrated with a surface acoustic wave (SAW) delay line.
• To demonstrate a manufacturable CW AEA capable of achieving net insertion gain.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a 169.5-MHz SAW delay line on 128YX lithium niobate.
• Integration of a monolithic coupled AEA (CAEA) within the SAW delay line structure.
• Experimental measurement of device performance, including insertion loss and gain.

Main Results:

• The device achieved a terminal gain of 1.2 dB.
• The impedance-matched delay line without the CAEA exhibited an insertion loss of 4.6 dB.
• With the operational CAEA, a net insertion gain of 5.8 dB was measured.
• The CAEA consumed approximately 137 mW of DC power at peak gain.

Conclusions:

• This work presents a novel embodiment for a manufacturable CW AEA.
• The demonstrated CAEA successfully achieves a significant net insertion gain, overcoming previous limitations.
• The results pave the way for practical applications of acoustoelectric amplification.