Patent ID: 7826816

Claim:
An apparatus including a frequency converter, said frequency converter comprising: a signal generator configured to generate a first complementary pair of local oscillator (LO) signals and a second complementary pair of LO signals such that a phase difference between a signal of the first complementary pair and a signal of the second complementary pair is substantially equal to ninety degrees; a first mixer configured and arranged to mix a radio-frequency (RF) current signal with the first complementary pair of LO signals; a second mixer configured and arranged to mix the RF current signal with the second complementary pair of LO signals, wherein said signal generator is configured to generate each signal of the first and second complementary pairs to have a duty cycle of substantially less than fifty percent, wherein each of said first and second mixers includes a passive mixer driving a low-impedance load; a first feedback transimpedance amplifier arranged to receive, from said first mixer, a frequency-converted signal based on the RF current signal and the first complementary pair of LO signals; and a second feedback transimpedance amplifier arranged to receive, from said second mixer, a frequency-converted signal based on the RF current signal and the second complementary pair of LO signals.