A compact wideband Wilkinson Power Divider topology for arbitrary N-Way outputs

Area of Science:

• Microwave Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• RF Circuit Design

Background:

• Conventional Wilkinson power dividers (WPDs) often require crossovers or high-impedance lines, limiting miniaturization and scalability.
• Achieving arbitrary N-output power division in a compact form factor remains a challenge for modern RF systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel compact Wilkinson power divider (WPD) topology for arbitrary 1×N equal power divisions.
• To enable miniaturization and wideband performance without crossovers or unrealizable high-impedance lines.

Main Methods:

• The proposed WPD topology combines equal and unequal power division stages using 1:2 and 1:3 ratio units.
• Miniaturization is achieved using tapered-line impedance transformers, with a maximum line impedance constraint of 103 Ω.
• A two-stage 1×3 divider was designed, fabricated, and tested at 2.4 GHz on a microstrip platform.

Main Results:

• The prototype 1×3 WPD demonstrated an 85% effective bandwidth.
• Excellent performance was achieved with amplitude imbalance within ±0.2 dB and phase imbalance less than ±2.5°.
• The design achieved up to 58% size reduction compared to conventional topologies while maintaining wideband performance.

Conclusions:

• The presented WPD topology offers a compact, scalable, and high-performance solution for N-output power division.
• This technology is suitable for M×N beamforming networks and supports SDG 9 for advanced communication infrastructure.
• The design provides a flexible and efficient approach for microwave component development.