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Superconductor Science and Technology

Non-linear surface resistance and frequency mixing in superconducting films

Andrey B. Kozyrev, T. B. Samoǐlova, K.A. Dudin, S.Yu. Shaferova

Published Oct 1, 1994• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Non-linear behaviour of NbN and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x films at microwave frequencies is considered. Basic non-linearity mechanisms in wide superconducting films and the corresponding cut-off frequencies are discussed. Non-linear microwave properties of the films are analysed on the basis of dynamic current-voltage characteristics derived from the film response to short current pulses. The mixing effect is observed on superconducting NbN and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x thin-film microbridges and coplanar lines. The intermediate-frequency conversion loss is analysed as a function of the local oscillator power. The experimental data are compared with simulation results.

DOI
10.1088/0953-2048/7/10/014

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Conversion gain and noise of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ weak-link mixers

Donald P. Butler, Jiaqi Wang, Anil Bhandari +1 more

Microwave mixing and parametric conversion in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ microbridges were investigated. The devices have been operated as down-converters, converting a 20-GHz radio frequency to a 1.5-GHz intermediate frequency under the action of an 18.5-GHz local oscillator. The microbridges were fabricated both as granular films on MgO substrates possessing grain boundary weak links and as epitaxial films deposited over substrate steps in LaAlO/sub 3/ substrates. The authors have measured conversion gains as high as -8+or-4 dB when mixing on the nonlinear resistive (superconducting-normal) transition and as high as -30 to -40 dB when parametrically converting via the nonlinear inductance of the bridge at bias currents less than the critical current. Output referred noise powers as low as -206 dB/Hz (3*10/sup -21/ W/Hz) have been measured. In some samples, noise switching events were observed.>

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Mar 1, 1993•5 citations
Non-linear behaviour of NbN and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x films at microwave frequencies is considered. Basic non-linearity mechanisms in wide superconducting films and the corresponding cut-off frequencies are discussed. Non-linear microwave properties of the films are analysed on the basis of dynamic current-voltage characteristics derived from the film response to short current pulses. The mixing effect is observed on superconducting NbN and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x thin-film microbridges and coplanar lines. The intermediate-frequency conversion loss is analysed as a function of the local oscillator power. The experimental data are compared with simulation results.
Some results of an investigation of nonlinear behavior of NbN and YBa2Cu3O7-x films at microwaves are presented. Nonlinear microwave properties of superconducting films are analyzed on the basis of dynamic Current Voltage Characteristics (CVC) measured from the film response to the short duration video pulse. Conversion loss of the microwave signal into the intermediate frequency signal under various local oscillator power has been obtained from this analysis. The experimental data for the mixing of two microwave signals are described. Mixing effect was observed on superconducting NbN and YBa2Cu3O7-x film elements in microbridge and coplanar line forms. Conversion loss of about 20 dB was obtained in the running-wave regime.
Small volume high-Tc super-conducting YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) thin films are used as low power, very wide bandwidth mixers in the frequency range of 75 GHz to 2.5 THz. The YBCO films are patterned into lattice-cooled hot-electron bolometers (HEB) coupled to an integrated Au thin-film antenna and transmission line. Near 77 K, these mixers have responsivity as high as 780 V/W using only 8 nW of local oscillator (LO) power at 585 GHz. The responsivity can be shown to be truly bolometric. Direct heterodyne and homodyne down-conversion mixing using local-oscillator frequencies of 75 GHz and 585 GHz show overall conversion gains of -35 dB, which includes a -18 dB coupling loss, using only approximately 1 (mu) W of LO power. The gain bandwidth shows a simple Lorentzian roll-off with -3 dB point of 5 to 8 GHz. The large gain bandwidth and small power requirements make these high-Tc superconducting mixers an attractive alternative to existing Schottky diode and conventional superconducting receiver technologies.
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.
Microwave mixing and parametric conversion in YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ microbridges were investigated. The devices have been operated as down-converters, converting a 20-GHz radio frequency to a 1.5-GHz intermediate frequency under the action of an 18.5-GHz local oscillator. The microbridges were fabricated both as granular films on MgO substrates possessing grain boundary weak links and as epitaxial films deposited over substrate steps in LaAlO/sub 3/ substrates. The authors have measured conversion gains as high as -8+or-4 dB when mixing on the nonlinear resistive (superconducting-normal) transition and as high as -30 to -40 dB when parametrically converting via the nonlinear inductance of the bridge at bias currents less than the critical current. Output referred noise powers as low as -206 dB/Hz (3*10/sup -21/ W/Hz) have been measured. In some samples, noise switching events were observed.>