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 MTT-S International Microwave Symposium digest

Integrated tuning elements for millimeter and sub-millimeter SIS mixers

G. Pance, Michael J. Wengler

Published Jan 2, 2003• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The authors present two different designs of integrated tuning elements for superconducting tunnel junction mixers. The structures consist of a self-complementary log-periodic antenna, superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction, and a broadband superconducting tuning circuit placed between the center of the antenna and the SIS junction. The designs allow good coupling to relatively large-area (7 mu m/sup 2/) junctions. The best design has a 3-dB bandwidth of 102 GHz at the central frequency of 98 GHz, and 75 GHz at the central frequency of 492 GHz. Microwave scale-model measurements show excellent agreement with simulation results. Devices are being fabricated in niobium technology.>

DOI
10.1109/mwsym.1992.187981

Related papers

Quasioptical SIS mixer with broadband integrated tuning elements

G. Pance, Noshir Dubash, Michael J. Wengler

The authors have designed and tested a quasioptical superconducting tunnel junction (superconductor-insulator-superconductor, or SIS) mixer with integrated tuning elements. The designs consists of a self-complementary log-periodic antenna, the SIS tunnel junction, and the broadband superconducting tuning circuit. The tuning circuit is placed between the SIS junction and the center of the antenna. Tuning circuits are designed for 98 GHz and 492 GHz. Self-induced resonant steps are observed in I-V curves. Results of noise temperature measurements performed between 89 GHz and 104.4 GHz are reported. Results from the Touchstone simulation program, when run with the actual fabrication process parameters, show agreement with the experiment. Three types of measurements are presented: DC I-V curve measurement, heterodyne detection measurement, and direct detection measurement. All measurements show consistent results and they all agree with the theoretical predictions.>

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Mar 1, 1993•2 citations

QUASIOPTICAL SIS MIXER WITH BROADBAND INTEGRATED

G. Pance, Noshir Dubash, Michael J. Wengler

We have designed and tested a quasioptical superconducting tunnel junction (SIS) mixer with integrated tuning elements. Devices were fabricated by the Consortium for Superconducting Electronics. The designs consist of a self- complementary log-periodic antenna, superconductor-insulator- superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction, and the broadband superconducting tuning circuit. The tuning circuit is placed between the SIS junction and the center of the antenna. Tuning circuits are designed for 98 GHz and 492 GHz. Self induced resonant steps are observed in I-V curves. We performed noise temperature measurements between 89 GHz and 104.4 GHz and report the results.

•Jan 1, 1993•0 citations

Broadband quasi-optical SIS mixers with large area junctions

G. Pance, Michael J. Wengler

A broadband quasi-optical superconducting tunnel junction (SIS) mixer with integrated tuning elements was designed and tested. We are able to achieve very low noise performance using commercially available niobium integrated circuit (IC) technology. The low critical current density (980 A/cm/sup 2/) and large area (12 /spl mu/m/sup 2/) of the commercial SIS's is compensated by the ability to fabricate accurate integrated tuning structures in the mature niobium IC process available from Hypres, Inc. Noise measurements were made in the frequency range from 70 to 105 GHz. The best uncorrected double sideband receiver noise is 38 K at 77 GHz, with receiver noise temperatures less than 100 K from 75 to 102 GHz.>

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques•Apr 1, 1994•5 citations

MM wave quasioptical SIS mixers

Qing Hu, C. A. Mears, P. L. Richards +1 more

The authors have tested the performance of planar SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) mixers with log-periodic antennas at near millimeter and submillimeter wave frequencies from 90 to 360 GHz. The large omega R/sub N/C product ( approximately 10 at 90 GHz) of the Nb/NbO/sub x//Pb-In-Au junctions requires an integrated inductive tuning element to resonate the junction capacitance at the operating frequencies. Two types of integrated tuning element were used which were designed with the aid of measurements using a Fourier transform spectrometer. Preliminary results indicate that the tuning elements can give very good mixer performance up to at least 200 GHz. An inductive wire in parallel with a 5-junction array gives a minimum mixer noise temperature of 115 K (DSB) at 90 GHz with a FWHM (full width at half maximum) bandwidth of 8 GHz. An open-ended microstrip stub in parallel with a single junction gives minimum mixer noise temperatures at 150 and 200 K (DSB) near 90 and 180 GHz with FWHM bandwidths of 4 and 3 GHz, respectively. The relatively high mixer noise temperatures compared to those of waveguide SIS mixers in a similar frequency range are attributed mainly to the losses in the optical system.>

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics•Mar 1, 1989•32 citations

NbN/MgO/NbN SIS tunnel junctions for submm wave mixers

J. A. Stern, B. D. Hunt, Henry George LeDuc +4 more

The authors report on the fabrication and testing of all-refractory NbN/MgO/NbN SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) tunnel junctions for use as high-frequency mixers. Progress in the development of techniques for the fabrication of submicron-area tunnel junctions is described. Junction structures which have been investigated include mesa, crossline, and edge geometries. Using reactive sputtering techniques, NbN tunnel junctions with critical currents in excess of 10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ have been fabricated with V/sub m/ values as high as 65 mV and areas down to 0.1 mu m/sup 2/. Specific capacitance measurements on NbN/MgO/NbN mesa-type tunnel junctions give values in the range 60-90 fF/ mu m/sup 2/. These SIS tunnel junctions have been integrated with antennas and coupling structures for mixer tests in a waveguide receiver at 207 GHz. Preliminary mixer results are reported.>

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics•Mar 1, 1989•17 citations

Superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixing with arrays at millimeter-wave frequencies

S. Rudner, M. J. Feldman, E. Kollberg +1 more

We report high-frequency mixing at 75 GHz using superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction arrays of various length and composition. Short (6-junction) arrays, both of Pb (In) and of Pb, and long (36-junction) arrays of Pb are used. The array geometry and antenna coupling can be scaled to 300 GHz with existing technology. Comparing the experiments to each other and to theory provides criteria for SIS mixer design. The measured single side band (SSB) conversion loss is as good as 2.0±0.9 dB. This is marginally the best published conversion result for any resistive mixer without image rejection, and quantitatively agrees with the quantum theory of mixing. We examine Josephson effect noise in this device and give a rough upper frequency limit for single-junction SIS mixers. Conversion maxima are also noted close to the half-gap singularity present in Pb (In) junctions.

Journal of Applied Physics•Oct 1, 1981•50 citations
The authors present two different designs of integrated tuning elements for superconducting tunnel junction mixers. The structures consist of a self-complementary log-periodic antenna, superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction, and a broadband superconducting tuning circuit placed between the center of the antenna and the SIS junction. The designs allow good coupling to relatively large-area (7 mu m/sup 2/) junctions. The best design has a 3-dB bandwidth of 102 GHz at the central frequency of 98 GHz, and 75 GHz at the central frequency of 492 GHz. Microwave scale-model measurements show excellent agreement with simulation results. Devices are being fabricated in niobium technology.>
The authors have designed and tested a quasioptical superconducting tunnel junction (superconductor-insulator-superconductor, or SIS) mixer with integrated tuning elements. The designs consists of a self-complementary log-periodic antenna, the SIS tunnel junction, and the broadband superconducting tuning circuit. The tuning circuit is placed between the SIS junction and the center of the antenna. Tuning circuits are designed for 98 GHz and 492 GHz. Self-induced resonant steps are observed in I-V curves. Results of noise temperature measurements performed between 89 GHz and 104.4 GHz are reported. Results from the Touchstone simulation program, when run with the actual fabrication process parameters, show agreement with the experiment. Three types of measurements are presented: DC I-V curve measurement, heterodyne detection measurement, and direct detection measurement. All measurements show consistent results and they all agree with the theoretical predictions.>
We have designed and tested a quasioptical superconducting tunnel junction (SIS) mixer with integrated tuning elements. Devices were fabricated by the Consortium for Superconducting Electronics. The designs consist of a self- complementary log-periodic antenna, superconductor-insulator- superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction, and the broadband superconducting tuning circuit. The tuning circuit is placed between the SIS junction and the center of the antenna. Tuning circuits are designed for 98 GHz and 492 GHz. Self induced resonant steps are observed in I-V curves. We performed noise temperature measurements between 89 GHz and 104.4 GHz and report the results.
A broadband quasi-optical superconducting tunnel junction (SIS) mixer with integrated tuning elements was designed and tested. We are able to achieve very low noise performance using commercially available niobium integrated circuit (IC) technology. The low critical current density (980 A/cm/sup 2/) and large area (12 /spl mu/m/sup 2/) of the commercial SIS's is compensated by the ability to fabricate accurate integrated tuning structures in the mature niobium IC process available from Hypres, Inc. Noise measurements were made in the frequency range from 70 to 105 GHz. The best uncorrected double sideband receiver noise is 38 K at 77 GHz, with receiver noise temperatures less than 100 K from 75 to 102 GHz.>
The authors have tested the performance of planar SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) mixers with log-periodic antennas at near millimeter and submillimeter wave frequencies from 90 to 360 GHz. The large omega R/sub N/C product ( approximately 10 at 90 GHz) of the Nb/NbO/sub x//Pb-In-Au junctions requires an integrated inductive tuning element to resonate the junction capacitance at the operating frequencies. Two types of integrated tuning element were used which were designed with the aid of measurements using a Fourier transform spectrometer. Preliminary results indicate that the tuning elements can give very good mixer performance up to at least 200 GHz. An inductive wire in parallel with a 5-junction array gives a minimum mixer noise temperature of 115 K (DSB) at 90 GHz with a FWHM (full width at half maximum) bandwidth of 8 GHz. An open-ended microstrip stub in parallel with a single junction gives minimum mixer noise temperatures at 150 and 200 K (DSB) near 90 and 180 GHz with FWHM bandwidths of 4 and 3 GHz, respectively. The relatively high mixer noise temperatures compared to those of waveguide SIS mixers in a similar frequency range are attributed mainly to the losses in the optical system.>
The authors report on the fabrication and testing of all-refractory NbN/MgO/NbN SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) tunnel junctions for use as high-frequency mixers. Progress in the development of techniques for the fabrication of submicron-area tunnel junctions is described. Junction structures which have been investigated include mesa, crossline, and edge geometries. Using reactive sputtering techniques, NbN tunnel junctions with critical currents in excess of 10/sup 4/ A/cm/sup 2/ have been fabricated with V/sub m/ values as high as 65 mV and areas down to 0.1 mu m/sup 2/. Specific capacitance measurements on NbN/MgO/NbN mesa-type tunnel junctions give values in the range 60-90 fF/ mu m/sup 2/. These SIS tunnel junctions have been integrated with antennas and coupling structures for mixer tests in a waveguide receiver at 207 GHz. Preliminary mixer results are reported.>
We report high-frequency mixing at 75 GHz using superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction arrays of various length and composition. Short (6-junction) arrays, both of Pb (In) and of Pb, and long (36-junction) arrays of Pb are used. The array geometry and antenna coupling can be scaled to 300 GHz with existing technology. Comparing the experiments to each other and to theory provides criteria for SIS mixer design. The measured single side band (SSB) conversion loss is as good as 2.0±0.9 dB. This is marginally the best published conversion result for any resistive mixer without image rejection, and quantitatively agrees with the quantum theory of mixing. We examine Josephson effect noise in this device and give a rough upper frequency limit for single-junction SIS mixers. Conversion maxima are also noted close to the half-gap singularity present in Pb (In) junctions.