Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Moscow, Russia, August 19–23, 2012 849

Optimized Rat-race Coupler with Different Shapes of Defected

Ground Structure
M. Shirazi, R. Sarraf Shirazi, and Gh. R. Moradi
School of Electrical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran

Abstract— In this paper, a new type of Rat-Race ring coupler with different shapes of DGS is
presented. Three shapes of defect on ground plane have been investigated and after optimization
with Genetic Algorithm (GA) the best one is presented. Changing the shapes and dimensions
of the defect on ground will lead to better performance of a rat-race coupler such as less return
loss, smaller size or wider bandwidth than conventional rat-race coupler with DGS. All designs
are validated by using the full-wave electromagnetic simulator. At first a circular DGS have
been designed and investigated. After optimization we can see the advantages of this type
to the conventional one. The next type is triangular DGS; the optimum case of this type is
presented. Based on the triangular DGS results and distribution of electromagnetic current on
the ground plane, a fractal DGS have been designed and simulated. After optimization with
Genetic Algorithm the optimum shape and dimension of the defect on ground plane is proposed.
Simulations are carried out using HFSS 13, a commercial electromagnetic simulator based on a
finite element method.

1. INTRODUCTION
Microstrip rat-race ring couplers are important structures in microwave. They are widely used
in power amplifiers, mixers, and antenna systems due to their simplicity and wide bandwidth in
power dividing distribution [2, 3]. Hybrid ring couplers are also used in isolated power dividers
where a high level of isolation between the ports is required. However, this isolation is generally
limited in bandwidth by the phase balance performance of the hybrid. The conventional 180 hybrid
ring coupler has several shortcomings. It is inherently narrow-band, large in size, and it requires
impractically high-impedance line sections for large power-split ratios.
Recently, there has been an increasing interest in microwave and millimeter-wave applications
of the PBG [4, 5] and the DGS [1, 6]. In [1] a dumbbell shape DGS have been proposed which
has both size reduction and 3rd harmonic suppression in comparison with conventional Rat-Race
coupler. The proposed structure in [1] is not optimum neither in shape nor in size and dimensions.
Fig. 1 shows the conventional Rat-Race coupler with dumbbell shape (rectangular) DGS and new
proposed structures.
In this paper, we propose three other shapes of defect on ground plane and find the optimum
case based on GA. Each of the proposed rat-races is verified by full wave HFSS simulator and is
compared with the conventional rat-race.
2. CONVENTIONAL RAT-RACE WITH/WITHOUT DGS
In this section we examine the S-parameters of Rat-Race coupler with and without DGS. Substrate
with dielectric constant of 2.5 and thickness of 25 mil has been used. Fig. 2(a) shows return loss,

(a) (b) (c) (d)

Figure 1: Four different shapes of DGS. (a) Conventional, (b) Rat-Race with Circular DGS, (c) Rat-Race
with triangular DGS and (d) Rat-Race with fractal DGS.
850 PIERS Proceedings, Moscow, Russia, August 19–23, 2012

insertion loss and isolation for the conventional Rat-Race coupler. In this paper, we follow three
criteria to compute the coupler bandwidth.
1. Return loss and isolation better than 20 dB.
2. Magnitude difference between output ports should not exceed 1 dB.
3. Phase difference between output ports should not exceed 5 degree.
With these qualifications the bandwidth of conventional Rat-race coupler is about 15% with the
central frequency of 2.36 GHz. Utilizing a rectangular DGS will result in 3rd harmonic suppression
and size reduction as reported in [1], but the dimensions of DGS section proposed in [1] is not
optimum. After optimization with GA the length width and gap distance of rectangular DGS
sections were a = 7 mm, b = 5.2 mm and g = 0.2 mm, respectively. The S-parameters of this type
of DGS has been shown in Fig. 2(b).
The central frequency of Rat-Race coupler with rectangular DGS is 1.59 GHz and the bandwidth
of this type of DGS is about 13.5%, as you can see the bandwidth is 1.5% less than the bandwidth
of conventional Rat-Race.
3. RAT-RACE WITH CIRCULAR DGS
A new shape that can be used as defect on ground plane is circular DGS. As shown in Fig. 1(b)
six similar circular parts have been etched from ground plane. After optimization the radial of
each circle and the width of strip became 3.5 mm and 2.6 mm, respectively. Fig. 3 shows the S-
parameters of this kind of defect. Central frequency and bandwidth of this type has not been
changed in comparison with the previous type, but much better return loos and isolation between
output ports have been achieved.
4. RAT-RACE WITH TRIANGULAR DGS
The next type of DGS that will be investigated is triangular DGS. In this type six triangular sections
with optimized base and height have been etched from ground plane. Fig. 4(a) shows S-parameters
of coupler with triangular DGS and Fig. 4(b) illustrates the phase difference between output ports.
The limiting condition for bandwidth of coupler is almost its phase imbalance between output
ports. Therefore, Fig. 2(b) has been depicted to determine the bandwidth of Rat-Race coupler
with triangular DGS.
S Parameters HFSSDesign1 ANSOFT S Parameters HFSSDesign1 ANSOFT

0.00 0.00

m3 m4
-10.00 -20.00

m3 m2
m4
-20.00 -40.00 m1
Y1

Y1

-30.00 m2 Name X Y Curve Info

-60.00 Name X Y Curve Info

m1 2.3614 -47.7599 dB(S(1,1)) m1 1.5904 -48.6823 dB(S(1,1))

-40.00 m2 2.3301 -33.9742 dB(S(2,1)) -80.00 m2 1.6185 -37.0250 dB(S(2,1))
m1
m3 2.0000 -19.8830 dB(S(3,1)) m3 1.3900 -20.3594 dB(S(3,1))
m4 2.6300 -20.1751 dB(S(4,1)) m4 1.7400 -20.4649 dB(S(4,1))
-50.00 -100.00
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00
Freq [GHz] Freq [GHz]

(a) (b)

Figure 2: S-Parameters of conventional Rat-Race coupler. (a) Coupler without DGS, (b) coupler with DGS.
S Parameters HFSSDesign1 ANSOFT

0.00

-12.50 m3 m4
-25.00

-37.50 m2
Y1

-50.00
m1 Name X Y Curve Info

-62.50 m1 1.5904 -60.2172 dB(S(1,1))

m2 1.5904 -44.4320 dB(S(2,1))
-75.00 m3 1.3700 -20.1322 dB(S(3,1))
m4 1.7100 -21.2540 dB(S(4,1))
-87.50
1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00
Freq [GHz]

Figure 3: S-parameters of Rat-Race coupler with circular DGS.

Progress In Electromagnetics Research Symposium Proceedings, Moscow, Russia, August 19–23, 2012 851

The central frequency of this type of DGS is around 1.54 GHz and its bandwidth is almost 14%.
It can be seen that the 3rd harmonic suppression of the coupler has not been affected by changing
the DGS shapes and dimensions.
5. RAT-RACE WITH FRACTAL DGS
With a careful examination of current distribution of coupler with triangular DGS and the S-
parameters of previous DGS types, we examined and simulated a Rat-Race coupler with fractal
DGS, the shape of this kind of DGS has been depicted in Fig. 1(d). Fig. 5(a) shows the S-parameters
of new proposed structure. As can be seen the central frequency is 1.51 GHz which is 90 MHz less
than conventional Rat-Race with rectangular DGS. It means that the proposed hybrid ring reduce
the size of coupler. The occupied area of coupler with fractal DGS is 40% of conventional Rat-Race
coupler. Also with the change in the dimension of fractal section we can achieve much better return

ang_deg(S(2,1))- ang_deg(S(3,1)) [deg]

S Parameters HFSSDesign1 ANSOFT S21- S31 Phase HFSSDesign1 ANSOFT

0.00 375.00
-12.50
m3 m4 250.00
-25.00
125.00
-37.50 m1
m2 m1m2
Y1

0.00
-50.00
Name X Y Curve Info

-62.50 m1 1.5341 -41.8680 dB(S(1,1)) -125.00 Name X Y

m2 1.5622 -43.9140 dB(S(2,1)) m1 1.4530 4.9653

-75.00 m3 1.3655 -21.3109 dB(S(3,1)) m2 1.6700 -4.9347
-250.00
m4 1.6466 -22.7447 dB(S(4,1)) Curve Info

-87.50 ang_deg(S(2,1))- ang_deg(S(3,1))

1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 -375.00
Freq [GHz] 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00
Freq [GHz]
(b) (c)

Figure 4: Rat-Race with triangular DGS. (a) S-parameters, (b) phase difference between output ports.
S Parameters HFSSDesign1 ANSOFT

0.00

-10.00
m3 m4
-20.00

m1
Y1

-30.00
Name X Y Curve Info
-40.00 m2
m1 1.5157 -31.2399 dB(S(1,1))
m2 1.5470 -43.8606 dB(S(2,1))
-50.00 dB(S(3,1))
m3 1.3500 -20.3840
m4 1.6500 -20.1090 dB(S(4,1))
-60.00
0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00
Freq [GHz]
(a)
S21- S31 dB HFSSDesign1 ANSOFT S21- S31 Phase HFSSDesign1 ANSOFT

375.00
4.50
ang_deg(S(2,1))- ang_deg(S(3,1)) [deg]

225.00
1.50
dB(S(2,1))- dB(S(3,1))

75.00
m1 m2 m1m2
-1.50
-75.00

-4.50 Name X Y
Name X Y
-225.00 m1 1.4500 4.8384
m1 1.3400 -0.9562
m2 1.7400 -0.9598 m2 1.6700 -5.0817
Curve Info Curve Info

dB(S(2,1))- dB(S(3,1)) ang_deg(S(2,1))- ang_deg(S(3,1))

-7.50 -375.00
1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 8.00
Freq [GHz] Freq [GHz]

(b) (c)

Figure 5: Rat-Race with fractal DGS. (a) S-parameters, (b) magnitude difference between output ports,
(c) phase difference between output ports.
852 PIERS Proceedings, Moscow, Russia, August 19–23, 2012

loss or isolation, but near 1.6 GHz. Fig. 5(b) and Fig. 5(c) show magnitude difference and phase
difference of output ports, respectively. It can be seen that the limitative factor to determine the
bandwidth is phase imbalance between output ports.
6. CONCLUSIONS
Presented is a new hybrid ring Rat-Race coupler with different types of DGS. Photography of
the presented structures is shown in Fig. 1. All slots and gaps are 0.2 mm or wider and easy for
fabrication. It has demonstrated that lower central frequency, as well as very good performance
at the designed frequency, has been achieved in these types of a rat-race coupler with DGS. All
proposed structures have been optimized with Genetic Algorithm. It is well suited to compact
low-cost active circuit applications for microwave and millimeter-wave integrated-circuits.
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