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Radiofrequency systems

Chip-scale acoustics gets amped up

Nature Electronics volume 6, pages 5–6 (2023)Cite this article

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An acoustoelectric amplifier based on a three-layer heterostructure design could be used to create all-acoustic radiofrequency microsystems.

As demand for mobile communications continues to grow, radiofrequency microsystems need to meet increasingly stringent filtering and system requirements. Chip-scale signal processing with acoustic waves at radio and microwave frequencies plays a pivotal role in these wireless platforms. Acoustic waves offer several advantages over other approaches in such technology. The velocity of an acoustic wave is roughly four to five orders of magnitude lower than that of an electromagnetic wave, signifying a proportionally lower wavelength for fixed frequencies. At radiofrequencies, this results in micrometre-scale wavelengths that can be controlled by compact, lithographically defined waveguiding structures. Losses in acoustic wave propagation in low-loss materials are also one to two orders of magnitude lower than that of electromagnetic waveguides. As a result, acoustic waves are suitable for use in delay line and resonator-based devices.

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Fig. 1: Acoustoelectric amplification with a three-layer heterostructure.

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  1. Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Siddhartha Ghosh

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  1. Siddhartha Ghosh
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Correspondence to Siddhartha Ghosh.

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Ghosh, S. Chip-scale acoustics gets amped up. Nat Electron 6, 5–6 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-022-00910-y

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