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IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

Broad-Band RF Match to a Millimeter-Wave SIS Quasi-Particle Mixer

Antti V. Räisänen, William R. McGrath, P. L. Richards, Frances L. Lloyd

Published Dec 1, 1985• 69 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An integrated superconducting microstrip is shown to be a convenient, flexible, and well-characterized matching element for a super-conductor-insulator- superconductor (S1S) quasi-particle heterodyne mixer. The resonant interaction (Fiske modes) between the Josephson oscillations of a voltage-biased junction and the microstrip provides a convenient method for determining the electrical length of the microstrip line. An open-circuited microstrip stub that reflects a parallel inductance across the junction is used to broaden the bandwidth of the RF match of a 36-40-GHz S1S- mixer. Measurements with Pb-alloy junctions in a full-height waveguide mixer with fixed mechanical tuning give an instantaneous bandwidth of '10 to 15 percent with a mixer noise temperature T /sub M/ (DSB) = 10+- 2.5 K.

DOI
10.1109/tmtt.1985.1133245

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The Journal of Korean Institute of Electromagnetic Engineering and Science•Jan 1, 2004•0 citations
An integrated superconducting microstrip is shown to be a convenient, flexible, and well-characterized matching element for a super-conductor-insulator- superconductor (S1S) quasi-particle heterodyne mixer. The resonant interaction (Fiske modes) between the Josephson oscillations of a voltage-biased junction and the microstrip provides a convenient method for determining the electrical length of the microstrip line. An open-circuited microstrip stub that reflects a parallel inductance across the junction is used to broaden the bandwidth of the RF match of a 36-40-GHz S1S- mixer. Measurements with Pb-alloy junctions in a full-height waveguide mixer with fixed mechanical tuning give an instantaneous bandwidth of '10 to 15 percent with a mixer noise temperature T /sub M/ (DSB) = 10+- 2.5 K.
An integrated superconducting microstrip is shown to be a convenient, flexible, and well characterized matching element for a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) heterodyne mixer. An open-circuited microstrip stub that reflects a parallel inductance across the junction is used to broaden the bandwidth of the RF match of a 30-40 GHz SIS mixer. Measurements with Pb-alloy junctions in a full-height waveguide mixer with fixed mechanical tuning give an instantaneous bandwidth of 10 to 15 percent with a mixer noise temperature T/sub M/(DSB)=10+-2.5 K.
The performance of a broadband SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) receiver with no mechanical tuning elements was modeled and tested. The mixer mount had a broadband-waveguide-to-microstripline transition consisting of a four-step Chebyshev single-ridge transformer. The last step of the ridge connected the waveguide to a microstripline circuit. The on-chip circuit consisted of a microstripline that transmitted the RF and the local oscillator signals to the SIS mixer. Both the SIS element and the inductor had RF grounds provided by 90 degrees radial stubs. The inductor tuned out the junction capacitance to allow operation over the full frequency band. The SIS element can be a single junction or series array using Nb-AlO/sub x/-Nb trilayer tunnel junctions with areas as small as 0.5 mu m/sup 2/ and V/sub m/(2 mV)=39 mV. Preliminary results indicated a DSB receiver noise temperature of 65-80 K across the band measured at 4.4 K with an internal cryogenic RF hot/cold source and with T/sub if/=21 K. With another device, a mixer noise temperature of 35 K at 100 GHz was achieved, increasing to 45 K at 79.5 and 110 GHz. Coupled mixer gain of up to +3 dB and negative dynamic resistance on the first photon step were observed. The lowest noise temperature was obtained for an untuned single-junction mixer at 80 GHz: T/sub R/=41 K and T/sub M/=20 K were measured.
The authors have tested the performance of planar SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) mixers with log-periodic antennas at near millimeter and submillimeter wave frequencies from 90 to 360 GHz. The large omega R/sub N/C product ( approximately 10 at 90 GHz) of the Nb/NbO/sub x//Pb-In-Au junctions requires an integrated inductive tuning element to resonate the junction capacitance at the operating frequencies. Two types of integrated tuning element were used which were designed with the aid of measurements using a Fourier transform spectrometer. Preliminary results indicate that the tuning elements can give very good mixer performance up to at least 200 GHz. An inductive wire in parallel with a 5-junction array gives a minimum mixer noise temperature of 115 K (DSB) at 90 GHz with a FWHM (full width at half maximum) bandwidth of 8 GHz. An open-ended microstrip stub in parallel with a single junction gives minimum mixer noise temperatures at 150 and 200 K (DSB) near 90 and 180 GHz with FWHM bandwidths of 4 and 3 GHz, respectively. The relatively high mixer noise temperatures compared to those of waveguide SIS mixers in a similar frequency range are attributed mainly to the losses in the optical system.>
Heterodyne receivers using SIS (Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor) junctions are the most sensitive receivers for radioastronomy in the millimeter wave and submillimeter wave frequency range. These instruments use superconducting RF tuning circuits to resonate out the high shunt capacitance of the SIS junction in order to provide a good impedance match with the microwave envionment at the frequency of operation. An accurate model to determine the electrical propeties of impedance matching circuits has been developed. An analysis of superconducting microstrip lines and radial stubs taking into account the fringing fields of the thick electrode, the step discontinuities, and the Mattis-Bardeen complex conductivity for the superconductor surface impedance is presented. This model is used to calculate the resonance frequencies of the matching circuit with the capacitively-'shunted SIS junction. Good agreement is found between calculated and experimentally measured resonance frequencies at 550-600 GHz.
A Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) distributed mixer with no integrated tuning circuit has been designed for use in a fixed-tuned waveguide mixer block. This mixer employs two half-wave SIS resonators connected in series across the feed point of the waveguide circuit. By selecting appropriate dimensions for the resonators, we can obtain proper impedance matching over a reasonable input bandwidth. Since there is no lossy thin film microstrip line in front of the SIS junction, efficient power transfer from the waveguide feed to the mixer element can be achieved. A receiver noise temperature of 185 K at 650 GHz has been measured with a dual 0.33/spl times/16.8 /spl mu/m SIS resonator. The noise temperature remains below 300 K over an input bandwidth of about 10%. This design can be used at much higher frequency where the loss of tuning circuit becomes significant.
A fixed-tuned SIS(Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor) mixer across 120∼180 GHz band has been developed. This mixer employs an SIS chip fabricated by Nobeyama radio observatory which consists of a series array of 6 Nb/Al-AlO/Nb junctions in a microstrip line on a fused quartz substrate. The SIS chip is placed at the center of the half-height waveguide mixer mount to have a good incoming signal coupling over the whole frequency band. No mechanical tuner was used in the SIS mixer and the RF signal and local oscillator power are injected to the mixer via a cooled cross-guide coupler. In order to prevent the IF signal loss, the If output impedance of the SIS mixer was matched to the 50 input impedance of the IF chain. Measured double sideband noise temperatures of a receiver using the SIS mixer are 32∼131 K over 120∼180 GHz band. The developed SIS mixer is now in use for radio astronomical observations on the TRAO 14 m radio telescope.