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Applied Physics Letters

First implementation of a superconducting integrated receiver at 450 GHz

V. P. Koshelets, S. V. Shitov, Lyudmila V. Filippenko, Andrey M. Baryshev, Hans Golstein, Thijs de Graauw, Willem Luinge, Harry Schaeffer, Herman van de Stadt

Published Feb 26, 1996• 78 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An integrated quasioptical receiver consisting of a planar double dipole antenna, superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer and a superconducting local oscillator (LO) with matching circuits has been designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 360–490 GHz. A flux-flow oscillator (FFO) based on unidirectional and viscous flow of magnetic vortexes in a long Josephson tunnel junction, is employed as a local oscillator. All components of the receiver are integrated on a 4 mm×4 mm×0.2 mm crystalline quartz substrate using a single Nb–AlOx–Nb trilayer. The lowest DSB noise temperature of 470–560 K has been achieved within a frequency range of 425–455 GHz.

DOI
10.1063/1.115950

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Softwaretechnik-Trends•Mar 1, 1995•1 citation
An integrated quasioptical receiver consisting of a planar double dipole antenna, superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer and a superconducting local oscillator (LO) with matching circuits has been designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 360–490 GHz. A flux-flow oscillator (FFO) based on unidirectional and viscous flow of magnetic vortexes in a long Josephson tunnel junction, is employed as a local oscillator. All components of the receiver are integrated on a 4 mm×4 mm×0.2 mm crystalline quartz substrate using a single Nb–AlOx–Nb trilayer. The lowest DSB noise temperature of 470–560 K has been achieved within a frequency range of 425–455 GHz.
An integrated quasioptical receiver consisting of a planar double-dipole antenna, SIS mixer and superconducting Flux-Flow Oscillator (FFO) with matching circuits has been designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 420-530 GHz. The integrated receiver is very suitable for space applications because of its low size, mass and power consumption. All components of the receiver are integrated on a 4 mm/spl times/4 mm/spl times/0.2 mm crystalline quartz substrate using a single Nb-AlO/sub x/-Nb trilayer. The successful operation of the integrated receiver comprising a number of new crucial elements has been demonstrated. A DSB noise temperature as low as 140 K at 500 GHz and a tuning range of more than 100 GHz have been obtained. A comparison of the FFO with conventional external LO has been performed.
The concept of a fully integrated superconducting receiver looks very attractive for sub-mm space astronomy where low weight, power consumption and volume are required. The possibility to integrate on a few chips the different planar components: a SIS mixer, a superconducting local oscillator (LO), an intermediate frequency amplifier followed by superconducting circuits for digitizing and processing of down converted signals, is discussed. A first implementation of a real integrated quasioptical receiver for frequencies up to 500 GHz is described. The one-chip receiver comprises a double dipole antenna, parallel biased SIS array mixer and Josephson Flux Flow Oscillator (FFO) with matching circuits. The results of extensive investigations of the integrated receiver as well as design and investigation of novel superconducting elements are presented.>
An imaging array receiver for the submillimeter wavelength is being developed. Each of 9 pixels of the array receiver is a single-chip superconducting receiver with dimensions 4 mm x 4 mm x 0.2 mm and contains a planar antenna, an all-Nb SIS mixer, a superconducting local oscillator (FFO) and the necessary coupling circuitry. A prototype design of the array receiver block, its optics and magnetic shielding are discussed. Experimental data for the integrated receiver for high frequency range of 550-700 GHz are reported. A first sample has shown receiver noise temperature of 560 K (DSB) at 645 GHz with optics optimized for 500 GHz. Smooth and permanent tuning has been demonstrated for the integrated LO over frequency range 610-700 GHz. To obtain ultimate coupling for both signals from the antenna and from the integrated LO, the integrated receiver concept with a quasioptical balanced SIS mixer is suggested.
A fully superconductive integrated receiver is very promising for submm space astronomy where low weight, low power consumption, and limited volume are required. The new versions of the integrated quasioptical submm wave receiver have been designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range of 450-700 GHz. The integrated receiver chip comprises a planar double dipole antenna, SIS-mixer and on-chip superconductive Flux-Flow Oscillator (FFO) with matching circuits. The receiver noise temperature (DSB) as low as 140 K at 500 GHz has been obtained. A light-weight and low power consuming submm imaging array is under development. Each of 9 pixels of the array is realized by an all-Nb single-chip superconductive receiver, mounted on an elliptical silicon lens with anti-reflection coating. The experimental test results of one pixel receiver are presented. A computer based system is developed to control the operation of the integrated receiver.
A Superconducting Integrated Receiver (SIR) comprises in a single chip a planar antenna combined with a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer, a superconducting Flux Flow Oscillator (FFO) acting as a Local Oscillator (LO) and a second SIS harmonic mixer (HM) for the FFO phase locking. In this report an overview of the FFO development and optimization is presented. In order to overcome temperature constraints and extend operation frequency of the fully Nb SIR we have developed and studied Nb-AlN-NbN circuits with a gap voltage Vg up to 3.7 mV and extremely low leak currents (Rj/Rn > 30). Continuous tuning of the frequency due to bending and overlapping of the Fiske steps and a possibility to phase lock the Nb-AlN-NbN FFO at any frequency in the range 350-750 GHz has been experimentally demonstrated. After optimization of the FFO design the free-running linewidth between 7 and 1.5 MHz has been measured in the frequency range 350 - 750 GHz, which allows to phase-lock from 50 to 95 % of the emitted FFO power. New designs of the FFO intended for further improvement of its parameters are under development, but even at the present state the Nb-AlN- NbN FFOs are mature enough for practical applications. These achievements enabled development of a 500 - 650 GHz integrated receiver for the Terahertz Limb Sounder (TELIS) project intended for atmosphere study and scheduled to fly on a balloon in 2008.
A planar receiver comprising a Josephson flux-flow oscillator (FF0), a double dipole antenna and a SIS mixer integrated on a single chip within an area of 3 x 3 mm has been realised in the frequency range of 400-500 GHz. RF tests have been performed at temperatures between 2 K and 4.2 K. A best DSB noise temperature of 595 K 20 K at 465 GHz was obtained for the receiver with the mixer pumped by the FFO. The width of the antenna beam has been measured referred to the input window of the cryostat and was about ± 4 degrees at the power level of about 20 dB. The power consumption of the whole device is estimated to be 20 p.W.