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IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

A Low-Noise 47-GHz Mixer Using a Permanent Josephson Junction

JOCHEN EDRICH

Published Nov 1, 1976• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A new method to produce permanent Josephson junctions for millimeter-wave mixers is reported. In contrast to conventional point contacts which are mechanically unstable and require adjustments after each cooldown, these point contact junctions are set at room temperature, stay mechanically stable, and can be temperature cycled without readjustments. Using these junctions in a modified Sharpless wafer mixer mount, a single-sideband noise temperature of 71 K was measured at 47 GHz. Based on these results, system noise temperatures of less than 100 K are predicted for practical broad-band radiometers, RADAR, and communications receivers up to at least 100 GHz

DOI
10.1109/tmtt.1976.1128948

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Chin. Phys.; (United States)•Apr 1, 1982•0 citations
A new method to produce permanent Josephson junctions for millimeter-wave mixers is reported. In contrast to conventional point contacts which are mechanically unstable and require adjustments after each cooldown, these point contact junctions are set at room temperature, stay mechanically stable, and can be temperature cycled without readjustments. Using these junctions in a modified Sharpless wafer mixer mount, a single-sideband noise temperature of 71 K was measured at 47 GHz. Based on these results, system noise temperatures of less than 100 K are predicted for practical broad-band radiometers, RADAR, and communications receivers up to at least 100 GHz
Point contact Josephson junctions can function as millimeter wave heterodyne mixers with conversion gain. The best results achieved thus far show a single sideband conversion gain of 1.3 and a mixer contribution to the system noise temperature of 54sup0sup 0sup0K. Both of these results are approximately 5 times better than the best published figures for cooled Schottky barrier diode mixers operated at the same frequency. The measured noise for a variety of junctions can be expressed as a universal function of the normalized rf frequency OmegaOmegaOmega = homegaomegaomega/2eI/sub c/R. It is about a factor 2 larger than the calculated noise arising from the thermal noise in the junction shunt resistance, R. The noise calculation was done for the resistively shunted junction model using an analog junction simulator. (auth)
We have recently shown that point contact Josephson junctions can function as millimeter wave heterodyne mixers with conversion gain. The best results achieved thus far show a single sideband conversion gain of 1.3 and a mixer contribution to the system noise temperature of 54K. Both of these results are ∼ 5 times better than the best published figures for cooled Schottky barrier diode mixers operated at the same frequency. The measured noise for a variety of junctions can be expressed as a universal function of the normalized rf frequency\Omega = \hbar \omega/2eI_{c}R. It is about a factor 2 larger than the calculated noise arising from the thermal noise in the junction shunt resistance R. The noise calculation was done for the resistively shunted junction model using an analog junction simulator.
We have recently shown that point contact Josephson junctions can function as millimeter wave heterodyne mixers with conversion gain. The best results achieved thus far show a single sideband conversion gain of 1.3 and a mixer contribution to the system noise temperature of 54K. Both of these results are ∼ 5 times better than the best published figures for cooled Schottky barrier diode mixers operated at the same frequency. The measured noise for a variety of junctions can be expressed as a universal function of the normalized rf frequency \Omega = \hbar \omega/2eI_{c}R . It is about a factor 2 larger than the calculated noise arising from the thermal noise in the junction shunt resistance R. The noise calculation was done for the resistively shunted junction model using an analog junction simulator.