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Optimization of SIS mixer elements

Robert J. Mattauch

Published Dec 1, 1985• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) quantum mixers provide an approach to millimeter wave mixing - potentially offering conversion gain, a low local oscillator power demand, and potential mixer noise temperatures near the quantum limit. The development of a reliable fabrication technology for producing such high quality SIS devices for mixer applications in radio astronomy is the focus of the work.

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Design and optimization of NbCN/PbBi mixer elements for heterodyne receivers

A. W. Lichtenberger, A. S. Lewis, Robert J. Mattauch

Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) quantum mixers provide a relatively new approach to millimeter wave mixing potentially offering conversion gain, a low local oscillator power demand and potential mixer temperatures near the quantum limit. This paper presents device modeling and fabrication development for NbCN lead-alloy submicron edge-contact SIS mixers for use at 115 GHz.

•Jan 1, 1985•0 citations

Metriwave final report

W. E. Williams

The superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer is a device which is being used in the construction of very sensitive receivers in the millimeter and submillimeter wavelength regions. With its potential for conversion gain and quantum-limited performance, it is becoming a device of prime importance in radio astronomy as well as earth and planetary atmospheric research. Many of the parameters of the SIS mixer cannot be readily measured in the laboratory, however, since most commercially available test instruments use test signal powers large enough to saturate or destroy SIS junctions. Detailed here is the construction of a microwave network analyzer with extremely low test signal powers. The results of a development performed by Dynamics Technology, Inc., under a Phase 2 SBIR contract from NASA (NAS7-1025) are documented. The work resulted in a network analyzer to be delivered to workers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which should be capable of SIS mixer characterization in support of their ongoing work in this area.

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Niobium nitride devices for SIS mixers

Edward J. Cukauskas, William L. Carter, Marty Nisenoff

The superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction is an attractive candidate for millimeter wave mixers offering conversion gain and quantum limited noise.1SIS mixers have been operated at 36 GHz with a single sideband noise temperature of 3.7K which is within a factor of 2 of quantum limited performance.2These results were obtained with devices fabricated from lead alloy technology. While this technology is very useful for the demonstration of quantum limited noise an all refractory junction technology would be desirable as it would have the advantages of being mechanically rugged, cycle well between room temperature and 4K be resistant to radiation damage and have enhanced high frequency response.

International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz)•Dec 1, 1985•0 citations

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Stephen R. Whiteley

Abstract : Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction mixers are known to provide ultra-high sensitivity receiver applications above 30 GHz. In this two year (Phase II) program, HYPRES, in collaboration with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, have developed novel fully integrated SIS mixer circuits, and demonstrated a unique high efficiency cooling system. The integrated SIS mixer chip contains, aside from the actual mixer elements, passive tuning components, an IF filter, a coplanar transmission line, and a waveguide coupler, necessary components heretofore realized off-chip. Fabrication of the integrated mixer required development of a nine level process and optimization of the process dependent electrical parameters of the SIS devices. The device performs efficiently in the range of 75-115 GHz. A novel dewar-based cooler, which makes use of the extremely low thermal conductivity of the fused silica chip substrate to achieve an incremental thermal load of 25 mW, was fabricated and demonstrated. Such a cryostat allows relatively long term unattended operation of SIS, or other, cryogenic devices.

Final Report•Apr 26, 1989•0 citations

Temperature-dependent performances of Nb SIS mixers at millimeter and submillimeter wavelength Microwave and Millimeter Wave Technology

Jie Liu, Wenlei Shan, Sheng-Cai Shi

The dependence of the performance of Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) mixers on the ambient temperature is investigated both theoretically and experimentally at millimeter and submillimeter wavelength. We found that the mixers' conversion gain plays a dominant role in the temperature-induced variation of the overall receiver sensitivity. To achieve a straightforward image of how the ambient temperature influences the conversion gain, we introduce a pure shape factor that allows for determining the mixers' conversion gain from the nonlinearity of their IV curves. We measured the performance of an SIS mixer at 100GHz band with the ambient temperature ranging from 3.8K to 8.5K to verify the validity of the quantum mixing theory. The experimental results are found in good agreement with the simulation results. This agreement indicates the validity of quantum mixing theory at a relatively high temperature up to the superconducting critical temperature. The measurement results show that at 100GHz band, the Nb SIS mixer can maintain a reasonable performance at the ambient temperature as high as 80% of the superconducting critical temperature. In addition to the gain and noise, the receiver stability in terms of Allen variance was also measured at various ambient temperatures without any apparent difference found.

•Jan 1, 2012•0 citations

Noise parameters of SIS mixers

Larry R. D’Addario

It has been shown that low-noise receivers can be constructed at millimeter wavelengths by using mixers containing superconducting tunnel junctions as the nonlinear elements. This is possible because of both the low intrinsic noise of these devices and their potential for high conversion gain. Here, the quantum theory of mixing is used to derive the full-noise parameters and small-signal parameters of sinusoidally pumped SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) junctions. These are then put into a form that allows the theory of two-port linear networks to be brought to bear, allowing calculation of such useful parameters as minimum noise temperature, optimum source impedance, available (or exchangeable) gain at minimum noise, and stability factor. These quantities are properties of the pumped junction that do not depend on the source or load impedance, but do depend on the terminations at the image and harmonic sideband frequencies. The harmonic sidebands are taken to be shorted, and the image termination dependence is studied. Numerical results are presented for both ideal (BSC theory) and practical (measured current-voltage characteristic) junctions. The noise parameters of the cascade connection of an SIS mixer and a (noisy) IF amplifier are considered, leading to a specification of the optimum coupling network between the two. It is noted that the SIS mixer is usually not unconditionally stable, but that oscillation can be avoided by careful design of the IF coupling network.< >

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques•Jul 1, 1988•19 citations
Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) quantum mixers provide an approach to millimeter wave mixing - potentially offering conversion gain, a low local oscillator power demand, and potential mixer noise temperatures near the quantum limit. The development of a reliable fabrication technology for producing such high quality SIS devices for mixer applications in radio astronomy is the focus of the work.
The superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer is a device which is being used in the construction of very sensitive receivers in the millimeter and submillimeter wavelength regions. With its potential for conversion gain and quantum-limited performance, it is becoming a device of prime importance in radio astronomy as well as earth and planetary atmospheric research. Many of the parameters of the SIS mixer cannot be readily measured in the laboratory, however, since most commercially available test instruments use test signal powers large enough to saturate or destroy SIS junctions. Detailed here is the construction of a microwave network analyzer with extremely low test signal powers. The results of a development performed by Dynamics Technology, Inc., under a Phase 2 SBIR contract from NASA (NAS7-1025) are documented. The work resulted in a network analyzer to be delivered to workers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which should be capable of SIS mixer characterization in support of their ongoing work in this area.
The superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction is an attractive candidate for millimeter wave mixers offering conversion gain and quantum limited noise.1SIS mixers have been operated at 36 GHz with a single sideband noise temperature of 3.7K which is within a factor of 2 of quantum limited performance.2These results were obtained with devices fabricated from lead alloy technology. While this technology is very useful for the demonstration of quantum limited noise an all refractory junction technology would be desirable as it would have the advantages of being mechanically rugged, cycle well between room temperature and 4K be resistant to radiation damage and have enhanced high frequency response.
Abstract : Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction mixers are known to provide ultra-high sensitivity receiver applications above 30 GHz. In this two year (Phase II) program, HYPRES, in collaboration with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, have developed novel fully integrated SIS mixer circuits, and demonstrated a unique high efficiency cooling system. The integrated SIS mixer chip contains, aside from the actual mixer elements, passive tuning components, an IF filter, a coplanar transmission line, and a waveguide coupler, necessary components heretofore realized off-chip. Fabrication of the integrated mixer required development of a nine level process and optimization of the process dependent electrical parameters of the SIS devices. The device performs efficiently in the range of 75-115 GHz. A novel dewar-based cooler, which makes use of the extremely low thermal conductivity of the fused silica chip substrate to achieve an incremental thermal load of 25 mW, was fabricated and demonstrated. Such a cryostat allows relatively long term unattended operation of SIS, or other, cryogenic devices.
The dependence of the performance of Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) mixers on the ambient temperature is investigated both theoretically and experimentally at millimeter and submillimeter wavelength. We found that the mixers' conversion gain plays a dominant role in the temperature-induced variation of the overall receiver sensitivity. To achieve a straightforward image of how the ambient temperature influences the conversion gain, we introduce a pure shape factor that allows for determining the mixers' conversion gain from the nonlinearity of their IV curves. We measured the performance of an SIS mixer at 100GHz band with the ambient temperature ranging from 3.8K to 8.5K to verify the validity of the quantum mixing theory. The experimental results are found in good agreement with the simulation results. This agreement indicates the validity of quantum mixing theory at a relatively high temperature up to the superconducting critical temperature. The measurement results show that at 100GHz band, the Nb SIS mixer can maintain a reasonable performance at the ambient temperature as high as 80% of the superconducting critical temperature. In addition to the gain and noise, the receiver stability in terms of Allen variance was also measured at various ambient temperatures without any apparent difference found.
It has been shown that low-noise receivers can be constructed at millimeter wavelengths by using mixers containing superconducting tunnel junctions as the nonlinear elements. This is possible because of both the low intrinsic noise of these devices and their potential for high conversion gain. Here, the quantum theory of mixing is used to derive the full-noise parameters and small-signal parameters of sinusoidally pumped SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) junctions. These are then put into a form that allows the theory of two-port linear networks to be brought to bear, allowing calculation of such useful parameters as minimum noise temperature, optimum source impedance, available (or exchangeable) gain at minimum noise, and stability factor. These quantities are properties of the pumped junction that do not depend on the source or load impedance, but do depend on the terminations at the image and harmonic sideband frequencies. The harmonic sidebands are taken to be shorted, and the image termination dependence is studied. Numerical results are presented for both ideal (BSC theory) and practical (measured current-voltage characteristic) junctions. The noise parameters of the cascade connection of an SIS mixer and a (noisy) IF amplifier are considered, leading to a specification of the optimum coupling network between the two. It is noted that the SIS mixer is usually not unconditionally stable, but that oscillation can be avoided by careful design of the IF coupling network.< >