Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

European Microwave Conference (EuMC)

Detection of Millimetre Wave Radiation by Y-Ba-Cu-O Thin Films at Liquid Nitrogen Temperatures

Janusz Konopka, Roman Sobolewski, A. Konopka, Stanislaw J. Lewandowski, Witold Kula

Published Oct 1, 1988• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Detecting properties of Y-Ba-Cu-O granular thin film structures obtained by two differnt technological methods and using three different substrate materials have been studied at millimetre waves. The response to 25 and 100 GHz radiation is presented as the function of dc bias current for several temperatures around 77 K. For power levels below saturation the amplitudes of the recovered video signals were found to be proportional to the incident power. Sensitiviy obtained at 110 GHz is comparable to that of crystal point-contact detector. Preliminary results on mixing of two Ku-band sources for IF frequencies up to 5 GHz are presented, indicating that the response time of Y-Ba-Cu-O films is shorter than 40 ps. Due to pronounced quantum effects, which manifest themselves especially in narrow superconducting strips below 60 K, at present state of the technology the usefulness of investigated detectors is limited to liquid nitrogen temperatures.

DOI
10.1109/euma.1988.333815

Related papers

Microwave detection and mixing in Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films at liquid-nitrogen temperatures

Janusz Konopka, Roman Sobolewski, Anna Konopka +1 more

Microwave properties of an Y-Ba-Cu-O microstrip detector have been studied at 24 GHz frequency band at the liquid-nitrogen temperature. The amplitude of the video detection signal was found to be proportional to the incident microwave power. Direct mixing action was also demonstrated, setting the upper limit for the film response time as short as 40 ps. Occurrence of microwave mixing in the absence of dc current bias was observed, suggesting the presence of the inverse Josephson effect. Physical properties of the detector response were very similar to the enhanced mode of detection, characteristic for granular superconducting films.

Applied Physics Letters•Aug 29, 1988•24 citations

Microwave detectors based on granular high-T/sub c/ thin films

Janusz Konopka, Roman Sobolewski, Grzegorz Jung +4 more

The detecting and mixing properties of microstrip superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O and Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O thin-film structures deposited on various substrates have been investigated. The device performance was tested in the 22-, 55-, and 110-GHz frequency bands at temperatures ranging from 100 K to about 50 K. The sensitivity obtained at 110 GHz was comparable to that of crystalline detectors. Mixing experiments were performed in the 25-GHz frequency band and indicated that the detector response time is less than 40 ps. The intermediate frequency was varied from 50 MHz to 5 GHz without any decrease in the mixer output up to 3 GHz. Auxiliary emission measurements performed at 12 GHz and down to 4.2 K revealed that the detector low-temperature performance limit is associated with microwave radiation from clusters of intergrain weak links arranged in multiloop quantum interferometers.>

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques•Jan 1, 1990•22 citations

A 77 K computer controlled MM wave spectral Josephson detector using microstrip technique, preliminary results

M. Daginnus, Johann Heyen Hinken

Superconducting granular bridges of Y-Ba-Cu-O show the AC Josephson effect. A spectral detector has been devised with a granular bridge as the sensor, which is coupled to a microstrip line. The device has been operated in the millimeter-wave range (Ka-band) in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of 77 K. The DC V(I) characteristics of a granular bridge for a millimeter-wave signal of f/sub 1/=35.5 GHz at various power levels are presented.>

IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium digest•Jan 13, 2003•1 citation

Millimeter-wave detection by GBJJ using high-T/sub c/ superconducting YBaCuO films

S. Kita, H. Tanabe, Takeshi Kobayashi

Millimeter-wave detection in the heterodyne mixing mode has been carried out using the high-T/sub c/ superconducting GBJJ (grain boundary Josephson junction). The GBJJ was fabricated from high T/sub c/ superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O films, prepared on YSZ and SrTiO/sub 3/ substrates using an RF sputtering technique. The junction was patterned by chemical wet etching with phosphoric acid solution. The authors carried out experiments in the heterodyne mixing mode for a signal of 35 GHz with local oscillation at 34.97 GHz. The detected IF (intermediate frequency) output power was obtained at a bias voltage lying midway between the zeroth and first Shapiro steps. A mixer conversion efficiency of -15 dB was obtained with a dynamic range of about 20 dB at 35 GHz. This result strongly implies that high-T/sub c/ superconducting GBJJ works well as a detector at millimeter-wave frequencies.>

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics•Mar 1, 1989•16 citations

Spectral properties of rf emission from high T c films

Grzegorz Jung, Janusz Konopka, Stefano Vitale

Spectral properties of rf radiation from intrinsic Josephson junctions in high Tc Y-Ba-Cu-O thin film have been measured in the frequency range up to 1.5 GHz. Narrow emission lines with the 3 dB bandwidth of the order of 20 MHz were detected indicating that Josephson clusters radiate coherently. Synchronization conditions are determined by dc current and external magnetic field bias. Frequency locking of radiation to external resonant circuit was also observed. Spectral line narrowing due to resonant lock was distinguished from the coherence-induced narrowing by different tuning properties of the emission line. Noncoherent Josephson radiation manifests itself as a broadband background noise increase. A pronounced 1/f-like tail sensitive to dc bias and magnetic field was observed in a low frequency part of the spectrum.

Journal of Applied Physics•Sep 15, 1990•8 citations

Millimeter Wave Harmonic Mixing in Thin-Film YBa2Cu3O7-x Josephson Junctions

Yoshizumi Yasuoka, Takashi Nozue, Tsutomu Yamashita

Harmonic mixing characteristics in thin-film YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) Josephson junctions fabricated using photolithography were examined at the liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K) using 94 GHz millimeter wave radiation. As a result, a mixing signal (IF output) was obtained up to the harmonic number of 55 in harmonic mixing using the local oscillation (LO) wave as the microwave. The output strongly depended on the power of the LO and signal waves, and on the Shapiro step spacing induced by the LO wave. The IF output decreased in proportion to N -2 in the lower harmonic number region. However, the rate of decrease increased with an increase in the harmonic number.

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics•Nov 1, 1999•2 citations
Detecting properties of Y-Ba-Cu-O granular thin film structures obtained by two differnt technological methods and using three different substrate materials have been studied at millimetre waves. The response to 25 and 100 GHz radiation is presented as the function of dc bias current for several temperatures around 77 K. For power levels below saturation the amplitudes of the recovered video signals were found to be proportional to the incident power. Sensitiviy obtained at 110 GHz is comparable to that of crystal point-contact detector. Preliminary results on mixing of two Ku-band sources for IF frequencies up to 5 GHz are presented, indicating that the response time of Y-Ba-Cu-O films is shorter than 40 ps. Due to pronounced quantum effects, which manifest themselves especially in narrow superconducting strips below 60 K, at present state of the technology the usefulness of investigated detectors is limited to liquid nitrogen temperatures.
Microwave properties of an Y-Ba-Cu-O microstrip detector have been studied at 24 GHz frequency band at the liquid-nitrogen temperature. The amplitude of the video detection signal was found to be proportional to the incident microwave power. Direct mixing action was also demonstrated, setting the upper limit for the film response time as short as 40 ps. Occurrence of microwave mixing in the absence of dc current bias was observed, suggesting the presence of the inverse Josephson effect. Physical properties of the detector response were very similar to the enhanced mode of detection, characteristic for granular superconducting films.
The detecting and mixing properties of microstrip superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O and Bi-Ca-Sr-Cu-O thin-film structures deposited on various substrates have been investigated. The device performance was tested in the 22-, 55-, and 110-GHz frequency bands at temperatures ranging from 100 K to about 50 K. The sensitivity obtained at 110 GHz was comparable to that of crystalline detectors. Mixing experiments were performed in the 25-GHz frequency band and indicated that the detector response time is less than 40 ps. The intermediate frequency was varied from 50 MHz to 5 GHz without any decrease in the mixer output up to 3 GHz. Auxiliary emission measurements performed at 12 GHz and down to 4.2 K revealed that the detector low-temperature performance limit is associated with microwave radiation from clusters of intergrain weak links arranged in multiloop quantum interferometers.>
Millimeter-wave detection in the heterodyne mixing mode has been carried out using the high-T/sub c/ superconducting GBJJ (grain boundary Josephson junction). The GBJJ was fabricated from high T/sub c/ superconducting Y-Ba-Cu-O films, prepared on YSZ and SrTiO/sub 3/ substrates using an RF sputtering technique. The junction was patterned by chemical wet etching with phosphoric acid solution. The authors carried out experiments in the heterodyne mixing mode for a signal of 35 GHz with local oscillation at 34.97 GHz. The detected IF (intermediate frequency) output power was obtained at a bias voltage lying midway between the zeroth and first Shapiro steps. A mixer conversion efficiency of -15 dB was obtained with a dynamic range of about 20 dB at 35 GHz. This result strongly implies that high-T/sub c/ superconducting GBJJ works well as a detector at millimeter-wave frequencies.>
Spectral properties of rf radiation from intrinsic Josephson junctions in high Tc Y-Ba-Cu-O thin film have been measured in the frequency range up to 1.5 GHz. Narrow emission lines with the 3 dB bandwidth of the order of 20 MHz were detected indicating that Josephson clusters radiate coherently. Synchronization conditions are determined by dc current and external magnetic field bias. Frequency locking of radiation to external resonant circuit was also observed. Spectral line narrowing due to resonant lock was distinguished from the coherence-induced narrowing by different tuning properties of the emission line. Noncoherent Josephson radiation manifests itself as a broadband background noise increase. A pronounced 1/f-like tail sensitive to dc bias and magnetic field was observed in a low frequency part of the spectrum.
Harmonic mixing characteristics in thin-film YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) Josephson junctions fabricated using photolithography were examined at the liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K) using 94 GHz millimeter wave radiation. As a result, a mixing signal (IF output) was obtained up to the harmonic number of 55 in harmonic mixing using the local oscillation (LO) wave as the microwave. The output strongly depended on the power of the LO and signal waves, and on the Shapiro step spacing induced by the LO wave. The IF output decreased in proportion to N -2 in the lower harmonic number region. However, the rate of decrease increased with an increase in the harmonic number.