Harmonic Reflection Amplifier for Widespread Backscatter Internet-of-Things

The highly power-efficient backscattering communication scheme holds solid potentials to lead the Internet of Things technologies. However, asymmetric radio frontend architectures that ensure cheap and pervasive communicating things tags at one end link, overburden other link (“reader”) with complicated expensive hardware. This turns out prevent integration technology in wide spectrum consumer electronic devices (e.g. RF smartphone platforms). By separating TX RX frequency bands, harmonic drastically loosens technological constraints toward integration. We propose here use a single tunnel diode build reflection amplifier (HRA), using nonlinear behavior negative differential resistance region both generate harmonics amplify signals. circuit also behaves like common backscatter, same-frequency modulation for operation legacy readers. Operating below 150 mV, HRA drains 144-μW dc power measured positive conversion gain 18 dB.