Dual RF Input Envelope Tracking Power Amplifier with Enhanced Load Modulation for Power–Efficiency–Linearity Trade-Off

Badii, Marco; Lasagni, Giovanni; Righini, Monica; Collodi, Giovanni; Maddio, Stefano; Cidronali, Alessandro

doi:10.3390/s26123897

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Dual RF Input Envelope Tracking Power Amplifier with Enhanced Load Modulation for Power–Efficiency–Linearity Trade-Off

by

Marco Badii

^*

,

Giovanni Lasagni

,

Monica Righini

,

Giovanni Collodi

,

Stefano Maddio

and

Alessandro Cidronali

^*

Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, Via di Santa Marta, 3, 50139 Florence, Italy

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Sensors 2026, 26(12), 3897; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26123897 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 24 April 2026 / Revised: 5 June 2026 / Accepted: 17 June 2026 / Published: 19 June 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancements in Power Amplifier Design and Linearization Techniques for Wireless Communication Systems)

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Abstract

In this paper, we present an optimized driving strategy for a dual RF input envelope tracking power amplifier (ET PA) exploiting load modulation. The dual-input architecture enables dynamic load modulation (LM), allowing real-time adjustment of the load impedance to enhance performance over the signal dynamics typical of digital modulation schemes. The proposed approach considers a GaN HEMT-based LM-ET PA characterized under pulsed excitation across multiple amplitude and phase conditions of the load modulation control. Optimizing the control parameters yields a suitable shaping function that extends conventional ET supply modulation to include amplitude and phase control of the auxiliary amplifier, thereby improving the efficiency, output power, and linearity of the main amplifier. Experimental data demonstrate that the proposed dual RF input GaN-based LM-ET PA at 3.6 GHz outperforms a conventional ET PA in both efficiency and linearity when tested with high peak-to-average ratio (PAPR) signals.

Keywords: envelope tracking; load modulation; GaN power amplifier; dual RF input PA

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MDPI and ACS Style

Badii, M.; Lasagni, G.; Righini, M.; Collodi, G.; Maddio, S.; Cidronali, A. Dual RF Input Envelope Tracking Power Amplifier with Enhanced Load Modulation for Power–Efficiency–Linearity Trade-Off. Sensors 2026, 26, 3897. https://doi.org/10.3390/s26123897

AMA Style

Badii M, Lasagni G, Righini M, Collodi G, Maddio S, Cidronali A. Dual RF Input Envelope Tracking Power Amplifier with Enhanced Load Modulation for Power–Efficiency–Linearity Trade-Off. Sensors. 2026; 26(12):3897. https://doi.org/10.3390/s26123897

Chicago/Turabian Style

Badii, Marco, Giovanni Lasagni, Monica Righini, Giovanni Collodi, Stefano Maddio, and Alessandro Cidronali. 2026. "Dual RF Input Envelope Tracking Power Amplifier with Enhanced Load Modulation for Power–Efficiency–Linearity Trade-Off" Sensors 26, no. 12: 3897. https://doi.org/10.3390/s26123897

APA Style

Badii, M., Lasagni, G., Righini, M., Collodi, G., Maddio, S., & Cidronali, A. (2026). Dual RF Input Envelope Tracking Power Amplifier with Enhanced Load Modulation for Power–Efficiency–Linearity Trade-Off. Sensors, 26(12), 3897. https://doi.org/10.3390/s26123897

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Dual RF Input Envelope Tracking Power Amplifier with Enhanced Load Modulation for Power–Efficiency–Linearity Trade-Off

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