This crystal-based waveguide enables excitation of large amplitude harmonic acoustic waves without signal distortion, establishing high quality factor (Q) resonators to improve narrow band communication in electronic devices. Wireless communication industries often employ multi-band carrier aggregation techniques to satisfy the demand for higher data rates and communication capacity and to improve network performance. Developers seek high Q resonators to perform the requisite frequency synthesis. However, available devices have a limited ability to meet major resonator performance metrics consistently during extreme frequency scaling. In order to maintain high Q performance, certain resonator designs improve acoustic energy localization by geometrically suspending the propagating region using narrow tethers or anchors. These, however, can cause signal distortions in power-intensive extreme frequency applications. With these drawbacks, available resonators lack the lithographical frequency scalability necessary for transmitting configurable data communication over a wide frequency spectrum while preserving high Q performance at narrow bands.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed an acoustic waveguide that utilizes a crystal structure to facilitate development of high Q performance resonators without the need for geometrical suspension through narrow tethers or rigid anchors. This enables devices to synthesize frequencies efficiently across a wide frequency spectrum including narrow bandwidths, expanding wireless communication capacity and improving network performance.
High quality factor resonators with improved power handling that enhance narrow bandwidth communication in electronic devices such a routers, internet of things devices, and military equipment
This acoustic waveguide features a crystallographic orientation in single crystal silicon that enables excitation of large amplitude harmonic acoustic waves without generation of higher harmonics, thereby improving a resonator’s power handling capacity. Its single crystal silicon substrate lowers acoustic dissipation to reduce signal quality factor degradation during extreme frequency scaling. It does not require geometrical suspension through narrow tethers or rigid anchors. The design utilizes dispersive energy trapping to localize acoustic energy uniformly within the electromechanical transduction area, which is a fundamental requirement for frequency scalability.
