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

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

Space-qualified superconductive digital instantaneous frequency-measurement subsystem

Guo‐Chun Liang, Chien-Fu Shih, R.S. Withers, Ben Cole, Marie E. Johansson

Published Jul 1, 1996• 44 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have constructed a five-bit high temperature superconductive digital instantaneous frequency measurement (DIFM) subsystem capable of determining the frequency of unknown signals over a 500-MHz bandwidth, centered on 4 GHz, with a resolution of 17.8 MHz. The system consists of three parts: a limiting amplifier and filter, a comparator and data processing unit operating at room temperature, and a cryogenic subsystem containing five discriminator modules based on superconductive delay lines, GaAs mixers and power dividers. With a single-tone CW input between -40 dBm and +10 dBm, the frequency quantization boundaries of the subsystem are, on average, 3.1 MHz from their design values. This system was built for the High-Temperature Superconductor Space Experiment, Phase II (HTSSE II). It has passed all required qualification tests for vibration, shock and thermal cycling. The system is currently scheduled for satellite launch in fall 1996. Compared to a conventional system, the superconductive version of the DIFM is considerably smaller and provides enhanced resolution. In addition, the technology employed can be readily extended to a system with additional bits and wider instantaneous bandwidth. The system built demonstrates the potential for system-level applications of high-temperature superconductive electronics in instrumentation, communications, radar, and electronic warfare.

DOI
10.1109/22.508233

Related papers

Superconductive digital instantaneous frequency-measurement subsystem

Guo‐Chun Liang, C. F. Shih, R.S. Withers +3 more

A five-bit high-temperature-superconductive digital instantaneous frequency-measurement (DIFM) subsystem has been constructed for the determination of the frequency of unknown signals over a 500 MHz bandwidth, centered on 4 GHz, with a resolution of +/- 7.8 MHz. The subsystem contains a cryogenic section with five discriminator modules utilizing superconductive delay lines, GaAs mixers, and power dividers. With a single-tone cw input between -40 dBm and +10 dBm, the frequency quantization boundaries of the subsystem are, on average, 3.1 MHz from their design values. This system demonstrates the potential system-level application of high-temperature superconductive electronics in instrumentation, communication, radar, and electronic warfare.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Jan 4, 1994•1 citation

Superconductive digital instantaneous frequency-measurement subsystem

G.-C. Liang, Chuan‐Feng Shih, R.S. Withers +3 more

A 5-b high-temperature-superconductive digital instantaneous frequency-measurement (DIFM) subsystem has been constructed for the determination of the frequency of unknown signals over a 500-MHz bandwidth, centered on 4 GHz, with a resolution of +or-7.8 MHz. The subsystem contains a cryogenic section with five discriminator modules using superconductive delay lines, GaAs mixers, and power dividers. The subsystem also has a room-temperature GaAs limiting amplifier and a silicon postprocessor. With a single-tone CW (continuous-wave) input between-40 dBm and +10 dBm, the frequency quantization boundaries of the subsystem are, on average, 3.1 MHz from their design values.>

IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium digest•Dec 31, 2002•2 citations

Superconductive digital instantaneous frequency measurement subsystem

Guo‐Chun Liang, Chien-Fu Shih, R.S. Withers +3 more

A 5-b high-temperature-superconductive digital instantaneous frequency-measurement (DIFM) subsystem has been constructed for the determination of the frequency of unknown signals over a 500-MHz bandwidth, centered on 4 GHz, with a resolution of +or-7.8 MHz. The subsystem contains a cryogenic section with five discriminator modules using superconductive delay lines, GaAs mixers, and power dividers. The subsystem also has a room-temperature GaAs limiting amplifier and a silicon postprocessor. With a single-tone CW (continuous-wave) input between -40 dBm and +10 dBm, the frequency quantization boundaries of the subsystem are, on average, 3.1 MHz from their design values.>

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques•Jan 1, 1993•35 citations

Superconducting direct digital synthesizer

A. Spooner, Binneg Y. Lao, Dave Rowe +5 more

Communications transmitters, receivers, radar applications, and related test equipment require precise control over generated frequencies which can be provided by digital synthesis. Superconductivity technology offers to greatly improve the operational frequency range at a tiny fraction of the power of present GaAs and Si digital frequency synthesizers, an important consideration for systems with multiple receiver elements and satellite applications. We designed, fabricated, and tested a digital superconducting frequency synthesizer on a 1-cm square substrate in niobium technology and tested at 4 Kelvin. The chip contains a 12-bit pipelined MVTL incremental phase accumulator (simple expansion to 32 bits achieves one part in 4.3/spl times/10/sup 9/ frequency resolution). The most significant 10-bits of the accumulated phase proceed to a Sine ROM which is based on SQUID cells and employs data compression to minimize circuit size. An 8-bit ROM output word proceeds to a superconducting D/A converter to construct the analog output waveform which updates each clock cycle. We have operated the entire superconducting synthesizer above 1 GHz. Our performance goal with present fabrication technology is /spl ges/4 GHz operation.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 1997•6 citations

Superconducting cueing receiver for space experiment

T. C. L. G. Sollner, W.G. Lyons, D.R. Arsenault +4 more

Exploiting the high-temperature superconductor YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ (YBCO), we have extended chirp-transform processing to instantaneously analyze the spectrum of an incoming signal over greater bandwidth than any competing technology. A compact receiver has been developed that can analyze a 3 GHz bandwidth in 120 ns with 110 MHz resolution. The cryogenic YBCO chirp filter and ambient-temperature semiconductor electronics have been space qualified for flight on the US Navy's High-Temperature Superconductivity Space Experiment, a package to be launched on the US Air Force ARGOS scientific satellite.>

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 1995•9 citations

Superconductive analog signal processing devices

R.S. Withers, Richard W. Ralston

Real-time signal processing is important in many emerging applications in areas such as pulse-compression radar, spread-spectrum communications, and electronic warfare. The required digitally equivalent computational rate for these applications is on the order of 10/sup 2/ arithmetic operations per second and the required instantaneous bandwidths could approach 10 GHz. These exceed by nearly three orders of magnitude the capabilities projected for digital systems in the near future, and even exceed that of recently developed analog technologies such as surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) signal-processing devices. To meet anticipated future system needs, superconductive analog signal-processing components with bandwidths of 2 GHz have recently been realized, and the technology is being developed for the realization of 10-GHz bandwidths. Issues of fabrication technology and subsystem integration are examined for superconductive analog signal-processing devices.>

Proceedings of the IEEE•Jan 1, 1989•61 citations
We have constructed a five-bit high temperature superconductive digital instantaneous frequency measurement (DIFM) subsystem capable of determining the frequency of unknown signals over a 500-MHz bandwidth, centered on 4 GHz, with a resolution of 17.8 MHz. The system consists of three parts: a limiting amplifier and filter, a comparator and data processing unit operating at room temperature, and a cryogenic subsystem containing five discriminator modules based on superconductive delay lines, GaAs mixers and power dividers. With a single-tone CW input between -40 dBm and +10 dBm, the frequency quantization boundaries of the subsystem are, on average, 3.1 MHz from their design values. This system was built for the High-Temperature Superconductor Space Experiment, Phase II (HTSSE II). It has passed all required qualification tests for vibration, shock and thermal cycling. The system is currently scheduled for satellite launch in fall 1996. Compared to a conventional system, the superconductive version of the DIFM is considerably smaller and provides enhanced resolution. In addition, the technology employed can be readily extended to a system with additional bits and wider instantaneous bandwidth. The system built demonstrates the potential for system-level applications of high-temperature superconductive electronics in instrumentation, communications, radar, and electronic warfare.
A five-bit high-temperature-superconductive digital instantaneous frequency-measurement (DIFM) subsystem has been constructed for the determination of the frequency of unknown signals over a 500 MHz bandwidth, centered on 4 GHz, with a resolution of +/- 7.8 MHz. The subsystem contains a cryogenic section with five discriminator modules utilizing superconductive delay lines, GaAs mixers, and power dividers. With a single-tone cw input between -40 dBm and +10 dBm, the frequency quantization boundaries of the subsystem are, on average, 3.1 MHz from their design values. This system demonstrates the potential system-level application of high-temperature superconductive electronics in instrumentation, communication, radar, and electronic warfare.
A 5-b high-temperature-superconductive digital instantaneous frequency-measurement (DIFM) subsystem has been constructed for the determination of the frequency of unknown signals over a 500-MHz bandwidth, centered on 4 GHz, with a resolution of +or-7.8 MHz. The subsystem contains a cryogenic section with five discriminator modules using superconductive delay lines, GaAs mixers, and power dividers. The subsystem also has a room-temperature GaAs limiting amplifier and a silicon postprocessor. With a single-tone CW (continuous-wave) input between-40 dBm and +10 dBm, the frequency quantization boundaries of the subsystem are, on average, 3.1 MHz from their design values.>
A 5-b high-temperature-superconductive digital instantaneous frequency-measurement (DIFM) subsystem has been constructed for the determination of the frequency of unknown signals over a 500-MHz bandwidth, centered on 4 GHz, with a resolution of +or-7.8 MHz. The subsystem contains a cryogenic section with five discriminator modules using superconductive delay lines, GaAs mixers, and power dividers. The subsystem also has a room-temperature GaAs limiting amplifier and a silicon postprocessor. With a single-tone CW (continuous-wave) input between -40 dBm and +10 dBm, the frequency quantization boundaries of the subsystem are, on average, 3.1 MHz from their design values.>
Communications transmitters, receivers, radar applications, and related test equipment require precise control over generated frequencies which can be provided by digital synthesis. Superconductivity technology offers to greatly improve the operational frequency range at a tiny fraction of the power of present GaAs and Si digital frequency synthesizers, an important consideration for systems with multiple receiver elements and satellite applications. We designed, fabricated, and tested a digital superconducting frequency synthesizer on a 1-cm square substrate in niobium technology and tested at 4 Kelvin. The chip contains a 12-bit pipelined MVTL incremental phase accumulator (simple expansion to 32 bits achieves one part in 4.3/spl times/10/sup 9/ frequency resolution). The most significant 10-bits of the accumulated phase proceed to a Sine ROM which is based on SQUID cells and employs data compression to minimize circuit size. An 8-bit ROM output word proceeds to a superconducting D/A converter to construct the analog output waveform which updates each clock cycle. We have operated the entire superconducting synthesizer above 1 GHz. Our performance goal with present fabrication technology is /spl ges/4 GHz operation.
Exploiting the high-temperature superconductor YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ (YBCO), we have extended chirp-transform processing to instantaneously analyze the spectrum of an incoming signal over greater bandwidth than any competing technology. A compact receiver has been developed that can analyze a 3 GHz bandwidth in 120 ns with 110 MHz resolution. The cryogenic YBCO chirp filter and ambient-temperature semiconductor electronics have been space qualified for flight on the US Navy's High-Temperature Superconductivity Space Experiment, a package to be launched on the US Air Force ARGOS scientific satellite.>
Real-time signal processing is important in many emerging applications in areas such as pulse-compression radar, spread-spectrum communications, and electronic warfare. The required digitally equivalent computational rate for these applications is on the order of 10/sup 2/ arithmetic operations per second and the required instantaneous bandwidths could approach 10 GHz. These exceed by nearly three orders of magnitude the capabilities projected for digital systems in the near future, and even exceed that of recently developed analog technologies such as surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) signal-processing devices. To meet anticipated future system needs, superconductive analog signal-processing components with bandwidths of 2 GHz have recently been realized, and the technology is being developed for the realization of 10-GHz bandwidths. Issues of fabrication technology and subsystem integration are examined for superconductive analog signal-processing devices.>