Douglas W Maki

Title: **Innovator Spotlight: Douglas W. Maki**

Introduction

Douglas W. Maki is an accomplished inventor based in Arnold, Maryland, who has contributed significantly to the field of microwave technology. With a total of two patents to his name, Maki’s innovations demonstrate a profound understanding of microwave integrated circuits and their applications.

Latest Patents

Maki's latest patents include:

1. **Microwave Oscillator for Microwave Integrated Circuit Applications**: This invention discloses a sophisticated means for obtaining a high Q oscillator that is compact and easily integrated into existing microwave integrated circuits, such as parametric amplifiers. The design includes efficient coupling methods to microstrip that maintain the high Q of the oscillator circuit intact. Negative resistance elements, such as Gunn or IMPATT diodes, are positioned within a resonator cavity that combines radial transmission line and rectangular waveguide cavities.

2. **Integrated Circuit, Image and Sum Enhanced Balanced Mixer**: This patent describes a balanced microwave diode mixing circuit that utilizes the junction of a slot transmission line and coplanar strip transmission line for diode modulation, facilitating heterodyne mixing. Key features include the input of the local oscillator signal and output of the intermediate frequency signal being achieved via a common coupling. The design also provides low reactance at both the sum and image frequencies at the hybrid junction, while presenting high impedance at the input signal frequency.

Career Highlights

Throughout his career, Douglas W. Maki has made impactful contributions while working at notable organizations such as Westinghouse Electric Corporation and the United States Army. His work in these institutions has greatly influenced advancements in microwave technologies.

Collaborations

While working in the field, Maki has collaborated with esteemed professionals, including Lawrence E. Dickens. Their joint efforts have contributed to the development of innovative solutions in the microwave engineering domain.

Conclusion

Douglas W. Maki's contributions to microwave technology through his patents not only showcase his ingenuity but also highlight the importance of collaboration in achieving groundbreaking innovations. His work continues to inspire the advancement of microwave integrated circuits and their applications in various industries.