Pioneer composers always try to explore beyond frontiers. Nowadays, they are allowed to listen, read, and play music with machines. Music information retrieval (MIR) technology has brought revolutionary computational music analysis (CMA) in recent years. It provides novel ways to dissect music. On the other hand, algorithmic composition (AC) is able to generate countless pieces with explicit ground truth for MIR experiments. While most data scientists have been seeking the best features which are perfect for discrimination between samples in dissimilar classes, little attention was paid to unclaimed territories in any dimensional feature space. If somewhere there is a tiny ratio of outliers from diverse classes, the unexploited parts might be worth to explore.

To investigate, specific intercultural and cross-level features are implemented to extract from 18009 symbolic and audio samples in 91 sub-datasets which come from various genres in five eras across three continents. Next, the indices of tessitura and mobility are also extracted from all symbolic samples. Besides, 32 jSymbolic features from fewer samples are selected to realize the (non-)concurrence features based on internal correlations between local base features. Final results confirm that vocal styles broadly have larger susceptibilities and narrower register widths than instrumental styles in average. Distributions reveal the unexploited areas in two-dimensional space. Evaluations illustrate (non-)concurrence features’ performance and improvement on the balanced composer classification of Haydn and Mozart’s separated string quartet parts. Manual compositions demonstrate several successes to penetrate the frontiers.

Although modern artificial neural network may automatically learn features to detect unexploited compositional space, those features are not necessary perceivable by human or even not tractable through AC. Contemporary composers have to, however, select controllable features and devise appropriate algorithms and parameters unless they do not want to compose by their own. This research initiates innovative praxis. Its ultimate goal is to evolve toward the mutualism. Composers learn from the dimensional feature space and distributions through MIR and CMA with intent to devise better algorithms and parameters to manipulate in AC. Then AC has the capability to promote better techniques and features for MIR and CMA, which again stimulate composer’s imagination and creativity.

This thesis first presents a fully-integrated 16-way power combining amplifier for 67-92 GHz applications in an advanced 90 nm silicon germanium (SiGe) HBT technology. The 16-way amplifier is implemented using 3-stage common-emitter single-ended power amplifiers (PAs) as building blocks, and reactive l/4 impedance transformation networks are used for power combining. The 3-stage single PA breakout has a small-signal gain of 22 dB at 74 GHz, and saturation output power (Psat ) of 14.3-16.4 dBm at 68-99 GHz. The power-combining PA achieves a small-signal gain of 19.3 dB at 74 GHz, and Psat of 25.3-27.3 dBm at 68-88 GHz with a maximum power added efficiency (PAE) of 12.4%. The 16-way amplifier occupies 6.48 mm2 (including pads) and consumes a maximum current of 2.1 A from a 1.8 V supply. To our knowledge, this is the highest power silicon-based E-band amplifier to-date.

Next, a fully-integrated 8-way power combining amplifier for 110-134 GHz applications in an advanced 90 nm silicon germanium (SiGe) HBT technology is presented. The 8-way amplifier is implemented using 4-stage common-emitter single-ended power amplifiers (PAs) as building blocks, and reactive l/4 impedance transformation networks are used for power combining. The single-ended PA breakout has a small-signal gain of 20 dB at 116 GHz, and saturation output power (Psat ) of 12.5-13.8 dBm at 114-130 GHz. The 8-way power combining PA achieves a small-signal gain of 15 dB at 116 GHz, and Psat of 20-20.8 dBm at 114-126 GHz with a power added efficiency (PAE) of 7.6-6.3%. The 8-way amplifier occupies 4.95 mm2 (including pads) and consumes a maximum current of 980 mA from a 1.6 V supply. To our knowledge, this is the highest power silicon-based D-band amplifier to-date.

Next, a fully-integrated 4-way power combining multiplier for 200-230 GHz applications in an advanced 90 nm silicon germanium (SiGe) HBT technology is presented. The 4-way combined multiplier is implemented using active balanced transistor pairs with device size of 460.1 μm2 with 4-stage pseudo-differential driver power amplifiers (PAs) as building blocks, and reactive l/4 impedance transformation networks are used for power combining. The 4-stage single-ended PA breakout has a peak small-signal gain of 19.3 dB at 110 GHz, and a saturation output power (Psat ) of 14.5 dBm at 116 GHz. The multiplier breakout results in a peak output power of 1.8 dBm at 245 GHz with a peak conversion gain of -15.5 dB. The power-combining multiplier achieves a peak output power of 8 dBm at 215 GHz with an associate conversion gain of -4.7 dB and the peak conversion gain is 1.6 dB at 215 GHz. The 4-way combined multiplier occupies 3.63 mm2 (including pads) and consumes a maximum current of 1.2 A from a 1.8 V supply. To our knowledge, this work generates the highest power among the silicon-based technology to-date at frequency above 200 GHz.

Finally, high-power stand-alone millimeter-wave frequency multipliers in advanced SiGe and CMOS process are presented. First, a 135-160 GHz active doubler has been developed in 45 nm CMOS SOI. Careful optimization is done on the transistor size, layout and transmission-lines in order to result in the best performance. The doubler shows a measured peak power of +3.5 dBm at 150 GHz and > 2 dBm at 140-160 GHz, at a bias voltage of 1 V. These were achieved at an input power of 7-8 dBm at 70-80 GHz, resulting in a conversion gain of -4 to -5 dBm. To our knowledge, these are the best results achieved for a D-band doubler in SiGe or CMOS, and shows that advanced CMOS technology can be used to generate wideband power above 100 GHz. Second, a wideband 90 nm SiGe BiCMOS frequency multiplier at 200-245 GHz is presented. The balanced multiplier results in a low first harmonic component, and uses a reflector at the base nodes to reflect the second harmonics to transistors for improved efficiency. The measured output power is > -2 dBm at 200-245 GHz with a peak value of +2 dBm at 224-228 GHz and a conversion gain of -15 dB. To the author’s knowledge, this is the highest power wideband doubler at 200-250 GHz.