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 Applied Superconductivity

A three photon noise SIS heterodyne receiver at submillimeter wavelength

Alexandre Karpov, J. Blondel, M. Voß, K. H. Gundlach

Published Jun 1, 1999• 30 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An ultra-low noise single sideband SIS receiver has been prepared for radio astronomy at the sub millimeter wavelength /spl lambda//spl ap/0.85 mm. The minimum single sideband receiver noise temperature of 48 K corresponds to 3 h/spl omega//k or equivalent number of 3 photon of noise. The minimum single sideband SIS mixer noise temperature is about 20 K, close to 1.2 h/spl omega//k, or one photon of noise. The Nb/AlOx/Nb junctions with a Josephson critical current density of 9 KA/cm/sup 2/ and with the area of about 0.9 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ were used. The receiver has been tested at the 30 meter IRAM radio telescope in the winter seasons of 1997 and 1998. The observations at the radio telescope are speeded up by a factor of two to three with the new receiver.

DOI
10.1109/77.784014

Related papers

Four photons sensitivity heterodyne detection of submillimeter radiation with superconducting tunnel junctions

Alexandre Karpov, J. Blondel, M. Voß +1 more

An ultra low noise SIS receiver has been prepared for radio astronomy. The minimum double sideband receiver noise temperature is about 30 K which corresponds to 2 /spl planck//spl omega//k or an equivalent number of 4 photons of noise. The minimum measured double sideband mixer noise temperature is about 10 K which corresponds to 0.6 /spl planck//spl omega//k or approximately to 1 photon of noise. The fixed tuned SIS mixer operates in the 290-370 GHz frequency range. The submicron niobium junctions mere fabricated using photoresist lines for junction definition. The receiver has been used at the 30 m IRAM radio telescope in Spain in winter 1994. Telescope system noise temperature of 500 K single sideband has been achieved when the sky opacity was about 0.17.>

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 1995•24 citations

A 200-300 GHz single sideband SIS mixer for radio astronomy

Alexandre Karpov, J. Blondel, Dominique Billon-Pierron +1 more

We present an ultra broadband low noise single sideband (SSB) SIS mixer developed for 200-300 GHz radio astronomy receivers. The mixer uses two Nb/AlO/sub x//Nb junctions. Image band rejection by 20 dB is provided in the entire 200-300 GHz band using a mechanical tuning of the single noncontacting backshort in the mixer. The SIS receiver SSB noise temperature is close to 50 K in the main part of the band. A speed-up of the observations at radio telescopes by a factor 2-3 is expected with the new receiver.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Mar 1, 2001•2 citations

A broad band low noise SIS radiometer

Alexandre Karpov, J. Blondel, P. Dmitriev +1 more

A new type of ultra broad band SIS low noise radiometer has been developed. The SIS receiver instantaneous band of about 30% is significantly increased compared to traditional designs. We avoid a restriction related to the limited band of the Intermediate Frequency (IF) low noise amplifier by using a multifrequency heterodyne power source. In this regime the frequency mixing is performed simultaneously in a big number of the subbands and the IF signals are combined in a common amplifier. A low noise operation in this regime is possible due to the quantum nature of the frequency mixing in SIS quasi particle tunnel junctions. The SIS receiver covers 25 GHz band centered at 90 GHz with an equivalent noise temperature of about 50 K. The receiver uses a fixed tuned SIS mixer with Nb/Al Ox/Nb junctions. The critical Josephson current density is about 2.6 KA/cm/sup 2/ and the junction area is of about 1.5 /spl mu/m/sup 2/. The limits to further improvement of the radiometer and the possibilities for extension of the technique to the sub millimeter band are discussed.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 1999•1 citation

A 125-180 GHz fixed-tuned SIS mixer for radioastronomy

Alexandre Karpov, J. Blondel, P. Pasturel +1 more

An ultra low noise fixed-tuned SIS mixer covering an instantaneous band of 45% around 150 GHz has been developed for radioastronomy. A new type of coplanar tuning circuit for the SIS junction is introduced. The Nb/Al oxide/Nb junctions are 2 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ with critical Josephson current density of 4.2 KA/cm/sup 2/. The minimum DSB mixer noise is 11 K. The minimum DSB receiver noise is 19 K, while the average noise is 25 K in the 130-175 GHz range with a 1 GHz IF band. A speedup of the observations by a factor 2-3 is possible with the new receiver at 30 m IRAM radiotelescope.

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

Applications of mm-wave SIS mixers to middle atmosphere monitoring systems

Hideo Suzuki, Takeshi Imamura, Naoki Yokoyama +4 more

We have already developed a low-noise 100 GHz band (98-115 GHz) SIS mixer using Nb/AlOx/Nb junction technology. The mixer has a noise temperature of 17 K when used as a double sideband (DSB) heterodyne receiver. The SIS receiver has been in use in the 4 m radio telescope at Nagoya University for five years. As a further application of the SIS mixer, we developed middle-atmosphere ozone monitoring system using an SIS mixer for the first time. The system can measure ozone mixing ratio every 5 minutes. The integration time is less than 1/10 of the time needed in a conventional system using Schottky barrier diode (SBD) mixers. We have also begun developing developing a 200 GHz band (210-280 GHz) SIS mixer for radio astronomy and for monitoring other minor constituents such as ClO. The preliminary experiment showed that the mixer has a rather low noise temperature of 60 K (DSB).>

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 1995•3 citations

Noise and gain in frequency mixers with NbN SIS junctions

Alexandre Karpov, B. Plathner, J. Blondel +4 more

We study noise and conversion gain in the SIS mixers with Nb/MgO/NbN junctions at the millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths in order to estimate the possibility to extent the low noise operation towards the theoretical limit of 4/spl Delta//h=2.4 THz. We present as preliminary result the lowest achieved receiver noise with NbN SIS junctions of 65 K with conversion gain of -6 dB at 162 GHz and 230 K receiver noise with conversion gain of -10 dB at 306 GHz. The junction area is 2 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ and Josephson critical current density is 1.4 KA/cm/sup 2/. The optimum R/sub N//spl omega/C of NbN junction for mixers is estimated as 600 GHz/V. In preliminary tests the junctions R/sub N//spl omega/C is 10-20 time superior to the optimum and a significant improvement of NbN SIS mixers may be expected. The noise sources in the NbN SIS junctions are studied and a possible mixer sensitivity improvement is discussed. The thermal properties of the SIS NbN are studied. The frequency limit of the low loss integrated tuning structure in NbN is estimated as at least as 1.5 THz.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 1997•9 citations
An ultra-low noise single sideband SIS receiver has been prepared for radio astronomy at the sub millimeter wavelength /spl lambda//spl ap/0.85 mm. The minimum single sideband receiver noise temperature of 48 K corresponds to 3 h/spl omega//k or equivalent number of 3 photon of noise. The minimum single sideband SIS mixer noise temperature is about 20 K, close to 1.2 h/spl omega//k, or one photon of noise. The Nb/AlOx/Nb junctions with a Josephson critical current density of 9 KA/cm/sup 2/ and with the area of about 0.9 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ were used. The receiver has been tested at the 30 meter IRAM radio telescope in the winter seasons of 1997 and 1998. The observations at the radio telescope are speeded up by a factor of two to three with the new receiver.
An ultra low noise SIS receiver has been prepared for radio astronomy. The minimum double sideband receiver noise temperature is about 30 K which corresponds to 2 /spl planck//spl omega//k or an equivalent number of 4 photons of noise. The minimum measured double sideband mixer noise temperature is about 10 K which corresponds to 0.6 /spl planck//spl omega//k or approximately to 1 photon of noise. The fixed tuned SIS mixer operates in the 290-370 GHz frequency range. The submicron niobium junctions mere fabricated using photoresist lines for junction definition. The receiver has been used at the 30 m IRAM radio telescope in Spain in winter 1994. Telescope system noise temperature of 500 K single sideband has been achieved when the sky opacity was about 0.17.>
We present an ultra broadband low noise single sideband (SSB) SIS mixer developed for 200-300 GHz radio astronomy receivers. The mixer uses two Nb/AlO/sub x//Nb junctions. Image band rejection by 20 dB is provided in the entire 200-300 GHz band using a mechanical tuning of the single noncontacting backshort in the mixer. The SIS receiver SSB noise temperature is close to 50 K in the main part of the band. A speed-up of the observations at radio telescopes by a factor 2-3 is expected with the new receiver.
A new type of ultra broad band SIS low noise radiometer has been developed. The SIS receiver instantaneous band of about 30% is significantly increased compared to traditional designs. We avoid a restriction related to the limited band of the Intermediate Frequency (IF) low noise amplifier by using a multifrequency heterodyne power source. In this regime the frequency mixing is performed simultaneously in a big number of the subbands and the IF signals are combined in a common amplifier. A low noise operation in this regime is possible due to the quantum nature of the frequency mixing in SIS quasi particle tunnel junctions. The SIS receiver covers 25 GHz band centered at 90 GHz with an equivalent noise temperature of about 50 K. The receiver uses a fixed tuned SIS mixer with Nb/Al Ox/Nb junctions. The critical Josephson current density is about 2.6 KA/cm/sup 2/ and the junction area is of about 1.5 /spl mu/m/sup 2/. The limits to further improvement of the radiometer and the possibilities for extension of the technique to the sub millimeter band are discussed.
An ultra low noise fixed-tuned SIS mixer covering an instantaneous band of 45% around 150 GHz has been developed for radioastronomy. A new type of coplanar tuning circuit for the SIS junction is introduced. The Nb/Al oxide/Nb junctions are 2 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ with critical Josephson current density of 4.2 KA/cm/sup 2/. The minimum DSB mixer noise is 11 K. The minimum DSB receiver noise is 19 K, while the average noise is 25 K in the 130-175 GHz range with a 1 GHz IF band. A speedup of the observations by a factor 2-3 is possible with the new receiver at 30 m IRAM radiotelescope.
We have already developed a low-noise 100 GHz band (98-115 GHz) SIS mixer using Nb/AlOx/Nb junction technology. The mixer has a noise temperature of 17 K when used as a double sideband (DSB) heterodyne receiver. The SIS receiver has been in use in the 4 m radio telescope at Nagoya University for five years. As a further application of the SIS mixer, we developed middle-atmosphere ozone monitoring system using an SIS mixer for the first time. The system can measure ozone mixing ratio every 5 minutes. The integration time is less than 1/10 of the time needed in a conventional system using Schottky barrier diode (SBD) mixers. We have also begun developing developing a 200 GHz band (210-280 GHz) SIS mixer for radio astronomy and for monitoring other minor constituents such as ClO. The preliminary experiment showed that the mixer has a rather low noise temperature of 60 K (DSB).>
We study noise and conversion gain in the SIS mixers with Nb/MgO/NbN junctions at the millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths in order to estimate the possibility to extent the low noise operation towards the theoretical limit of 4/spl Delta//h=2.4 THz. We present as preliminary result the lowest achieved receiver noise with NbN SIS junctions of 65 K with conversion gain of -6 dB at 162 GHz and 230 K receiver noise with conversion gain of -10 dB at 306 GHz. The junction area is 2 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ and Josephson critical current density is 1.4 KA/cm/sup 2/. The optimum R/sub N//spl omega/C of NbN junction for mixers is estimated as 600 GHz/V. In preliminary tests the junctions R/sub N//spl omega/C is 10-20 time superior to the optimum and a significant improvement of NbN SIS mixers may be expected. The noise sources in the NbN SIS junctions are studied and a possible mixer sensitivity improvement is discussed. The thermal properties of the SIS NbN are studied. The frequency limit of the low loss integrated tuning structure in NbN is estimated as at least as 1.5 THz.