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Joint Conference of the European Frequency and Time Forum and IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium (EFTF/IFCS)

Harmonic generation and mixing in high-T/sub c/ Josephson junctions with terahertz bandwidth

Erich N. Grossman, Leila R. Vale, Lyndon R. Zink, K. M. Evenson

Published Nov 19, 2002• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Recently, we have developed step-edge YBCO Josephson junctions with characteristic frequencies f/sub c/=(2e/h)(I/sub c/R/sub n/) of up to 5 THz (where I/sub c/ and R/sub n/ are the junction's critical current and normal-state resistance). Our project's overall aim is to explore the capabilities of these junctions for several types of frequency translation, utilizing the junction's ability to support very high frequency currents. These include high bandwidth mixing at CO/sub 2/ laser (30 THz) and visible frequencies, low noise mixing at THz frequencies, and harmonic mixing from mm-wave up to THz frequencies.

DOI
10.1109/freq.1995.483903

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Recently, we have developed step-edge YBCO Josephson junctions with characteristic frequencies f/sub c/=(2e/h)(I/sub c/R/sub n/) of up to 5 THz (where I/sub c/ and R/sub n/ are the junction's critical current and normal-state resistance). Our project's overall aim is to explore the capabilities of these junctions for several types of frequency translation, utilizing the junction's ability to support very high frequency currents. These include high bandwidth mixing at CO/sub 2/ laser (30 THz) and visible frequencies, low noise mixing at THz frequencies, and harmonic mixing from mm-wave up to THz frequencies.
Using high-Tc Josephson junctions made of YBa2Cu3O7−δ deposited across MgO bicrystal boundary, at terahertz (THz) frequency band, we demonstrated both fundamental and harmonic mixing. Radiation from a far-infrared laser was coupled to the junction, which was integrated with a planar bow-tie antenna, via an extended hyperhemispherical silicon lens. Fundamental mixing manifested itself in the junction’s dc current–voltage (I–V) curve as a third Shapiro step in addition to those two induced by the THz laser lines from a slightly misaligned resonator. In harmonic mixing between a THz laser line and a microwave local oscillator, the highest harmonic number we could get was 490 with a signal-to-noise ratio of 9 dB at the intermediate frequency.
A high-temperature superconducting (HTS) terahertz (THz) heterodyne mixer based on a thin-film antenna-coupled YBa2Cu3O7-xstep-edge Josephson junction is presented. The frequency down-conversion from 0.6 THz to an intermediate frequency (IF) of 2 GHz was achieved using high-order harmonic mixing of a local oscillator (LO), thus removing the need to use a second THz source as the LO pumping source. The DC and RF characteristics of the harmonic mixer as well as the relationship of the IF output power versus the harmonic number were experimentally studied and compared with simulated results. Most of our measurements were made at 40 K, but we also observed stable harmonic mixing at 77 K which we believe has not been reported previously in HTS junction mixers.
High temperature superconducting (HTS) Josephson junction (JJ) mixers are attractive candidates in receivers for terahertz (THz) communication due to their high sensitivity, wide bandwidth, low local oscillator (LO) power requirement and high harmonic numbers. The required LO frequencies and the cost can be greatly reduced when harmonic signals can be detected at high orders (more than 100). In this paper, up to 114thharmonic mixings is presented in a HTS bicrystal YBa2Cu3O7-δ(YBCO) JJ harmonic mixer coupled with a bowtie loaded meander antenna at 0.21 THz. HTS JJs will be promising high-order harmonic mixers for THz practical applications on reception or detection at THz bands.
Abstract This paper presents a wideband terahertz (THz) mixer based on a thin-film antenna-coupled high-temperature superconducting (HTS) YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−x (YBCO) step-edge Josephson junction. The HTS mixer enables the flexible harmonic mixing operation at multiple THz bands with the same microwave local oscillator (LO) source, and features very wide intermediate-frequency or instantaneous bandwidth. In order to optimize the frequency down-conversion performance of the mixer, systematic electromagnetic design and analysis have been carried out to improve the power coupling of THz radiation as well as wideband transmission of microwave signals. Experimental characterization of a fabricated device prototype has demonstrated that the mixer exhibits good performance at both the 200 GHz and 600 GHz bands. Detailed measurement results including the DC characteristics, LO pumping requirement, frequency response, mixing linearity and conversion gain are presented in this paper.
A high-temperature superconducting (HTS) terahertz (THz) frequency down-converter or mixer based on a thin-film ring-slot antenna coupled YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7– x (YBCO)/MgO step-edge Josephson junction is reported. The frequency down-conversion was achieved using higher order harmonics of an applied lower frequency (19–40 GHz) local oscillator signal in the Josephson junction mixing with a THz signal of over 600 GHz, producing a 1–3 GHz intermediate frequency signal. Up to 31st order of harmonic mixing was obtained and the mixer operated stably at temperatures up to 77 K. The design details of the antenna, HTS Josephson junction mixer, the matching and isolation circuits, and the DC and RF performance evaluation are described in this paper.
We have investigated YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// superconductor-normal-superconductor Josephson junctions as mixers of 30 THz radiation. We have directly observed (2nd order) difference frequencies from 10 MHz to 12.8 GHz between two CO/sub 2/ laser lines. Applying a third microwave signal to the junction, we have observed CO/sub 2/ laser difference frequencies up to 27 GHz. The d.c. bias dependence of the difference frequency signal, as well as other evidence, suggests two distinct mixing mechanisms: hot-electron mixing in the junction banks at high d.c. biases, and bolometric Josephson mixing at low d.c. biases. The latter is the first observation of Josephson mixing at CO/sub 2/ laser frequencies in high-T/sub c/ junctions. The Josephson mixing has generated observable mixing products up to 6th order.>