TY - GEN A1 - Krishnaji Rao, Megha A1 - Wentzel, Andreas A1 - Hoffmann, Thomas A1 - Schellhase, Lars A1 - A. Chevtchenko, Serguei A1 - Yazdani, Hossein A1 - Rudolph, Matthias T1 - Digital GaN-based transceiver architectures for sustainable 5G networks T2 - International journal of microwave and wireless technologies N2 - This paper presents two distinct configurations of a GaN-based digital transceiver (TRx) to evaluate their performance and integration efficiency. The first configuration, features a novel low-noise amplifier with integrated switching capability (LNAiS) and a digital class-E power amplifier (PA) on a single compact chip. The LNAiS eliminates the need for an external antenna switch, reducing module complexity and chip size while maintaining high performance. It achieves a gain of 12.7 dB and a noise figure of 3 dB at 4.7 GHz in Rx mode and provides over 20 dB isolation in Tx mode across 4.7–7.4 GHz. The digital PA demonstrates flexibility and efficiency, achieving 46% and 23% efficiencies for 20 MHz LTE and OFDM signals, respectively, and 22% for a 240 MHz OFDM signal with 10 dB PAPR. The second configuration integrates the same concept of digital PA with a standard LNA and an SPDT switch (LNAsS), achieving a gain of 24.8 dB and a noise figure of 2.65 dB at 4.2 GHz. This work highlights the trade-offs between these two architectures and demonstrates that the LNAiS-based approach drives the development of greener, more flexible, compact,lower-complexity, and cost-effective transceivers for 5G networks. KW - GaN KW - HEMT KW - MMIC KW - Transceiver KW - FEM KW - LNA KW - PA KW - spdt switch KW - Digital KW - PWM KW - Class-E KW - 5G Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/S1759078725102262 SN - 1759-0787 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Cambridge University Press (CUP) CY - Cambridge ER -