Effects of line parameters on soliton-like propagation in nonlinear transmission lines: Application to the optimization of frequency triplers

In this paper, soliton propagation in nonlinear transmission lines (NLTLs) periodically loaded with heterostructure barrier varactors is studied. From the lumped element equivalent circuit of the line we have analyzed the influence of transmission line parameters (i.e. per-section inductance and capacitance) on soliton propagation characteristics. It is shown that by increasing these parameters, a faster separation of input signals into solitons is achieved. From the point of view of NLTL harmonic generation, this gives additional flexibility to optimize multiplier performance by appropriate circuit design. These conclusions are supported from the analysis of a frequency tripler, where device losses are included. © 2001 Plenum Publishing Corporation.