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Soviet physics. Technical physics

Josephson-junction mm-wave mixer

В. А. Ильин, M. S. Kamenetskaia, T. M. Shurminova, V. S. Étkin

Published Sep 1, 1982• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

The design of a mixer based on a Josephson point junction operating at lambda = 2 mm is described. A distinctive feature of the mixer is that it uses an intermediate microwave frequency (f/sub int/ = 10 GHz). The conversion losses referred to the contact are < or =12 dB and the noise temperature approx.180 K.

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Point contact Josephson junctions can function as millimeter wave heterodyne mixers with conversion gain. The best results achieved thus far show a single sideband conversion gain of 1.3 and a mixer contribution to the system noise temperature of 54$sup 0$K. Both of these results are approximately 5 times better than the best published figures for cooled Schottky barrier diode mixers operated at the same frequency. The measured noise for a variety of junctions can be expressed as a universal function of the normalized rf frequency $Omega$ = h$omega$/2eI/sub c/R. It is about a factor 2 larger than the calculated noise arising from the thermal noise in the junction shunt resistance, R. The noise calculation was done for the resistively shunted junction model using an analog junction simulator. (auth)

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Noise in Josephson effect mm-wave mixers

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We have recently shown that point contact Josephson junctions can function as millimeter wave heterodyne mixers with conversion gain. The best results achieved thus far show a single sideband conversion gain of 1.3 and a mixer contribution to the system noise temperature of 54K. Both of these results are ∼ 5 times better than the best published figures for cooled Schottky barrier diode mixers operated at the same frequency. The measured noise for a variety of junctions can be expressed as a universal function of the normalized rf frequency\Omega = \hbar \omega/2eI_{c}R. It is about a factor 2 larger than the calculated noise arising from the thermal noise in the junction shunt resistance R. The noise calculation was done for the resistively shunted junction model using an analog junction simulator.

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G. Vernet, Robert Adde

The Josephson frequency conversion in the millimeter and submillimeter wave region is studied with superconducting Nb-Nb point contact junctions at 4.2 K, using the contact both as the local oscillator and the mixer with intermediate frequencies of 0.1 and 9.2 GHz. Frequency conversion signals are only detected in the latter case with a microwave receiver at 9.2 GHz in a range of Josephson frequencies between 145 and 1 600 GHz. The experiments with intermediate frequency fi of 0.1 GHz indicate for this small value of f i that the observed signals are not related to frequency conversion but noise effects. An analysis of the frequency conversion mechanism in a Josephson junction operated as an oscillator-mixer is proposed which includes the noise effects and also the feedback effects induced in a junction driven by a constant current source. We have then investigated the noise properties up to 450 GHz of superconducting point-contacts using the junction as an oscillator-mixer where the Josephson current is mixed with harmonics of an externally applied signal. The emitted intermediate frequency is detected at 9.2 GHz and its linewidth is measured. In the very high frequency range the dc quasiparticle current dominates in a Josephson weak-link and we compare the corresponding theoretical linewidth calculated by Scalapino with our experimental results.

Revue de Physique Appliquée•Jan 1, 1974•3 citations
Point contact Josephson junctions can function as millimeter wave heterodyne mixers with conversion gain. The best results achieved thus far show a single sideband conversion gain of 1.3 and a mixer contribution to the system noise temperature of 54sup0sup 0sup0K. Both of these results are approximately 5 times better than the best published figures for cooled Schottky barrier diode mixers operated at the same frequency. The measured noise for a variety of junctions can be expressed as a universal function of the normalized rf frequency OmegaOmegaOmega = homegaomegaomega/2eI/sub c/R. It is about a factor 2 larger than the calculated noise arising from the thermal noise in the junction shunt resistance, R. The noise calculation was done for the resistively shunted junction model using an analog junction simulator. (auth)
The Josephson frequency conversion in the millimeter and submillimeter wave region is studied with superconducting Nb–Nb point-contact junctions at 4.2 °K, using the contact both as the local oscillator and the mixer with intermediate frequencies of 0.1, 0.3, and 9.2 GHz. The point contact is in a nonresonant structure and fed by a constant current source: neither a strong rf coupling of the contact with a cavity nor a stabilizing shunt resistance was proved necessary. The direct observation of frequency conversion was performed with a microwave receiver at 9.2 GHz in a range of Josephson frequencies between 145 and 1600 GHz. The experiments with intermediate frequencies fi of 0.1 and 0.3 GHz indicate that conventional frequency conversion does not occur but that the observed signals are related to noise effects. An analysis of the frequency conversion mechanism in a Josephson junction operated as an oscillator-mixer is proposed which includes the noise effects and also the feedback effects induced in a junction driven by a constant current source. The results show that low-frequency current components are induced in the junction, which can give large spurious signals when small i.f. are used.
We have recently shown that point contact Josephson junctions can function as millimeter wave heterodyne mixers with conversion gain. The best results achieved thus far show a single sideband conversion gain of 1.3 and a mixer contribution to the system noise temperature of 54K. Both of these results are ∼ 5 times better than the best published figures for cooled Schottky barrier diode mixers operated at the same frequency. The measured noise for a variety of junctions can be expressed as a universal function of the normalized rf frequency\Omega = \hbar \omega/2eI_{c}R. It is about a factor 2 larger than the calculated noise arising from the thermal noise in the junction shunt resistance R. The noise calculation was done for the resistively shunted junction model using an analog junction simulator.
The Josephson frequency conversion in the millimeter and submillimeter wave region is studied with superconducting Nb-Nb point contact junctions at 4.2 K, using the contact both as the local oscillator and the mixer with intermediate frequencies of 0.1 and 9.2 GHz. Frequency conversion signals are only detected in the latter case with a microwave receiver at 9.2 GHz in a range of Josephson frequencies between 145 and 1 600 GHz. The experiments with intermediate frequency fi of 0.1 GHz indicate for this small value of f i that the observed signals are not related to frequency conversion but noise effects. An analysis of the frequency conversion mechanism in a Josephson junction operated as an oscillator-mixer is proposed which includes the noise effects and also the feedback effects induced in a junction driven by a constant current source. We have then investigated the noise properties up to 450 GHz of superconducting point-contacts using the junction as an oscillator-mixer where the Josephson current is mixed with harmonics of an externally applied signal. The emitted intermediate frequency is detected at 9.2 GHz and its linewidth is measured. In the very high frequency range the dc quasiparticle current dominates in a Josephson weak-link and we compare the corresponding theoretical linewidth calculated by Scalapino with our experimental results.