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IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters

A sideband separating mixer for 85-115 GHz

Vessen Vassilev, Victor Y. Belitsky, Christophe Risacher, Igor Lapkin, Alexey Pavolotsky, E. Sundin

Published Jun 1, 2004• 17 citations
Publisher

Abstract

This paper presents the results of development and tests of a sideband separating heterodyne receiver for the 85-115 GHz band with superconducting tunnel junctions (SIS) as frequency down converters. Sideband separation is achieved by using a quadrature scheme where two identical mixer junctions are pumped by a local oscillator (LO) with 90/spl deg/ phase difference. We used an innovative mixer layout where the quadrature scheme is implemented using waveguide-based and integrated on-chip components. We employed an additional pair of SIS junctions as terminations for LO-injection directional couplers.

DOI
10.1109/lmwc.2004.828028

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This paper presents the results of development and tests of a sideband separating heterodyne receiver for the 85-115 GHz band with superconducting tunnel junctions (SIS) as frequency down converters. Sideband separation is achieved by using a quadrature scheme where two identical mixer junctions are pumped by a local oscillator (LO) with 90/spl deg/ phase difference. We used an innovative mixer layout where the quadrature scheme is implemented using waveguide-based and integrated on-chip components. We employed an additional pair of SIS junctions as terminations for LO-injection directional couplers.
We present results of the development and measurements of a heterodyne sideband separating SIS mixer for 85-115 GHz band. The sideband separation is achieved by using a quadrature scheme where a local oscillator (LO) pumps two identical mixer junctions with 90° phase difference. A key component in the mixer is a waveguide to microstrip double probe transition used as a power divider to split the input RF signal and to provide transition from waveguide to microstrip line. The double probe transition enables the integration of all mixer components on a single compact substrate. The design also involves coupled lines directional couplers to introduce the LO power to the mixer junctions. An additional pair of SIS junctions is used to provide termination loads for the idle ports of the couplers. Several mixer chips were tested and similar and consistent performance was obtained. The best single sideband noise temperature is below 40 K with IF bandwidth 3.4-4.6 GHz. The sideband suppression ratio is better than 12 dB for both sidebands across the entire RF band. The mixer was also successfully tested with 4-8 GHz IF band. In this paper we present complete mixer characterization data.
Design and Performance of a 600–720-GHz Sideband-Separating Receiver Using AlOx{\hbox{AlO}}_{x}AlOx​ and AlN SIS Junctions
We present the design, modeling, construction, and characterization of a sideband separating heterodyne receiver that covers the frequency range from 600 to 720 GHz. The receiver has been constructed using waveguide technology in the split-block technique. The core of the mixer consists of a quadrature hybrid, two directional couplers to inject the local oscillator signal, two superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junctions, three signal-termination loads, and two planar IF/bandpass-filter/dc-bias circuits. The instrument that we have constructed presents excellent performance as demonstrated by two important figures of merit: receiver noise temperature and sideband ratio. Across the entire band, the uncorrected single-sideband noise temperature is below 500 K and reaches 190 K at the best operating point. The sideband ratio is greater than 10 dB over most of the frequency operating range. Superconducting junctions containing AlO∞- and AlN-tunnel barriers were tested.
Abstract — We present the design and the experimental results of a fixed-tuned sideband-separating superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer for 385- 500 GHz. The sideband separation is achieved using a quadrature scheme, where two separate DSB mixer blocks are combined with an intermediate waveguide component containing the LO waveguide distribution circuitry and RF waveguide hybrid. The intermediate waveguide piece is fabricated by using copper micromachining, which gives dimensions ’ accuracy better than 1 μm. The RF signal coming from the waveguide hybrid is coupled to the SIS junctions through an E-probe with integrated bias-T. We implemented an on-chip LO injection solution, where the LO coupler is integrated onto the mixer chip and fabricated together with the SIS junction and the tuning circuitry. The on-chip LO coupler is made as a combination of superconducting microstrip lines and slot-lines (branches), which gives almost a lossless solution. With the fabrication accuracy better than 0.5 μm by using optical lithography, the circuitry is proven to give a good performance following the simulations expectations. I.
We present the results of the development and characterization of the sideband separating (2SB) SIS mixer for the APEX band 1, 211-275 GHz.All mixer components, except the IF hybrid, are integrated into a single mixer block. The sideband separation is achieved by using a quadrature scheme where a local oscillator (LO) pumps two identical SIS mixers. The RF power is divided using a waveguide branch line coupler and directed with 900 phase difference to the ends of the substrate, where each path is coupled to the mixer chip through a waveguide to microstrip transition. Preliminary tests of this 2SB mixer show a sideband suppression ratio of about 12 dB and a typical SSB noise temperature of 80K.
We present the final results of the development and characterization of the sideband separating superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer for the APEX telescope band 1 (211-275 GHz). The sideband separation is achieved by using a quadrature scheme where the radio frequency (RF) and a local oscillator (LO) power are applied to two identical double sideband SIS mixers. All mixer components, including the LO and RF distribution circuitry, are integrated into a single mixer block. To achieve a compact design we developed a superconducting Lange coupler, based on Nb thin film, which is used as an intermediate frequency hybrid. Typical single sideband noise temperature of 100 K and sideband rejection ratio of about 12 dB and are measured.
We present the design of ALMA Band 5 sideband separation mixer based on Niobium superconducting SIS junctions and first experimental results for the double side band mixer. In this mixer the LO injection circuitry is integrated on the mixer substrate using a microstrip line directional coupler with slot-line branches in the ground plane. The isolated port of the LO coupler is terminated by a wideband floating elliptical termination. The mixer employs two SIS junctions with junction area of 3 ?m2 each, in twin junction configuration, followed by a quarter wave transformer to couple it to the RF probe. First measurements of the DSB mixer show promising results with noise temperature around 35K over the entire band.