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IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium digest

A 100 GHz SIS Quasiparticle Mixer with 10 dB Coupled Gain

Antti V. Räisänen, Denis Crété, P. L. Richards, Frances L. Lloyd

Published Jan 1, 1987• 17 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have tested a superconducting qussiparticle mixer for 85-110 GHz which gives much larger coupled gain than has been previously observed. When operated with a negative dynamic resistance of about 2000 Omega, the maximum coupled gain was G/sub M/(DSB)= 12.5 +- 0.5 dB [G/sub M/(SSB)= 9.5 +- 2.5 dB]. The associated mixer noise temperature was 15.9 K (DSB). Large gain was also observed with large positive dynamic resistance, giving the lowest mixer noise temperature of 12.4 K (DSB).

DOI
10.1109/mwsym.1987.1132571

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Journal of Applied Physics•Dec 1, 1987•35 citations
We have tested a superconducting qussiparticle mixer for 85-110 GHz which gives much larger coupled gain than has been previously observed. When operated with a negative dynamic resistance of about 2000 Omega, the maximum coupled gain was G/sub M/(DSB)= 12.5 +- 0.5 dB [G/sub M/(SSB)= 9.5 +- 2.5 dB]. The associated mixer noise temperature was 15.9 K (DSB). Large gain was also observed with large positive dynamic resistance, giving the lowest mixer noise temperature of 12.4 K (DSB).
We have measured the properties of a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) quasiparticle mixer which is operated in the quantum limit. Single sideband conversion gain larger than +4 dB was observed at 36 GHz with a mixer noise temperature T=9 + or - 6K, which is to be compared with the (Planck) quantum limit h-bar omega/(kln2) approx. 2.5K. Complete 3-port mixer calculations are presented which are in good agreement with the gain measurements. Negative resistance was observed which implies that arbitrarily large gain is available.
We have measured the properties of a superconductor-insulator-superconductor quasiparticle mixer which is operated in the quantum limit. Single sideband conversion gain larger than +4 dB was observed at 36 GHz with a mixer noise temperature T = 9±6 K, which is to be compared with the (Planck) quantum limit h/ω/(k ln 2)≃2.5 K. Complete three-port mixer calculations are presented which are in good agreement with the gain measurements. The dynamic resistance was observed to become infinite and then negative as the source conductance was decreased. This implies that arbitrarily large gain is available. The negative resistance is accompanied by IF oscillations.
Several SIS quasiparticle mixers have been designed and tested for the frequency range from 80 to 115 GHz. The sliding back short is the only adjustable RF-tuning element. The RF-filter reactance is used a s a fixed RF-matching element. A mixer which uses a single 2 × 2 μm2Pb-alloy junction in a 1/4-height waveguide mount has a coupled conversion gain of GM(DSB) = 2.6 ± 0.5 dB with an associated noise temperature of TM(DSB) = 16.4 ± 1.8 K at the best DSB operation point. The receiver noise temperature TR(DSB) is 27.5 ± 0.8 K for the test apparatus. This mixer provides a SSB receiver noise temperature below 50 K over the frequency range from 91 to 96 GHz, the minimum being TR(SSB) = 44 ± 4 K. Another mixer with an array of five 5 × 5 μm2junctions in series has much lower noise TM(DSB) = 6.6 ± 1.6 K, but less gain GM(DSB) = -5.1 ± 0.5 dB.
We study noise and conversion gain in the SIS mixers with Nb/MgO/NbN junctions at the millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths in order to estimate the possibility to extent the low noise operation towards the theoretical limit of 4/spl Delta//h=2.4 THz. We present as preliminary result the lowest achieved receiver noise with NbN SIS junctions of 65 K with conversion gain of -6 dB at 162 GHz and 230 K receiver noise with conversion gain of -10 dB at 306 GHz. The junction area is 2 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ and Josephson critical current density is 1.4 KA/cm/sup 2/. The optimum R/sub N//spl omega/C of NbN junction for mixers is estimated as 600 GHz/V. In preliminary tests the junctions R/sub N//spl omega/C is 10-20 time superior to the optimum and a significant improvement of NbN SIS mixers may be expected. The noise sources in the NbN SIS junctions are studied and a possible mixer sensitivity improvement is discussed. The thermal properties of the SIS NbN are studied. The frequency limit of the low loss integrated tuning structure in NbN is estimated as at least as 1.5 THz.
A Superconducting quasiparticle mixer receiver for 35-50 GHz is described. An array of six Pb In-oxide-Pb0.7Bi0.3tunnel junctions with 40 Ω array normal resistance and a shunt capacitance of 0.2 pF is used. The mixer is immersed into liquid helium and operated at 2 K. A 3.7-4.2 GHz parametric amplifier, also at 2 K is used as the if amplifier. The high if frequency allows single sideband operation with a system noise temperature of 140 K at 47 GHz. A lens guide is used for guiding the signal from the Cassegrain telescope focus to the liquid helium cooled lens corrugated horn and the mixer. The SSB system noise temperature varies rather smoothly from ≈ 220 K at 35 GHz to ≈ 140 K at 50 GHz suggesting that quantum gain effects are becoming more important at the high frequency end. The receiver is operational in the 20 m mm-wave telescope at the Onsala Space Observatory.
We have investigated high-frequency limits of superconducting quasiparticle mixers from experiments on Al/Al-oxide-In/Al (or Ag) tunnel junctions, and from calculations based on Tucker’s quantum theory of mixing (QTM). The small superconducting energy gap of Al enabled us to study mixer performance at around the junction gap frequency, fg =(Δ1+Δ2)/h≊87 GHz, of superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixers, and at twice the junction gap frequency for S-I-normal metal (SIN) mixers ( fg =Δ1/h) with available millimeter wave sources. Because of the low transition temperature of Al (Tc ≊1.3 K), a dilution refrigerator was used for providing temperatures below 1 K. The best mixer conversion efficiency was obtained for a low-resistance (∼34 Ω) six-junction array SIS mixer operated at f/fg ≊1 (in this case 73 GHz). The coupled single sideband conversion gain (with no image rejection) was −13.8 dB and the available conversion gain was estimated to −8.4 dB. Complicating nonequilibrium phenomena made it difficult to compare the performance of these relatively high-current-density mixers to the QTM. However, good agreement between calculated and corresponding measured conversion efficiencies and dynamic resistance values was obtained for the low-current-density mixers. Noise due to switching between rf-induced Josephson steps and interference from Josephson mixing could be quenched by a magnetic field. Several high-frequency limits are considered in this paper (such as Josephson switching noise, nonequilibrium phenomena, pair breaking, and energy gap limitations). Our results indicate that submillimeter wave SIS mixer receivers are likely to perform well, at least up to their gap frequencies, i.e., the THz region for large gap superconductors. Our QTM calculations showed that conversion gain larger than unity should be possible up to twice the gap frequency. Above this frequency the conversion loss will increase rapidly.