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IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

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

Alexandre Karpov, J. Blondel, Dominique Billon-Pierron, K. H. Gundlach

Published Mar 1, 2001• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

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.

DOI
10.1109/77.919476

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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.
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.
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).>
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 the design and results of characterization of a new sideband separating (2SB) mixer for 800-950 GHz, based on superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junctions. This is the first waveguide 2SB SIS mixer demonstrated at such a high frequency. The design is following the classical quadrature hybrid architecture, meanwhile additional attention was put on the reduction of reflections in the RF structure in order to minimize the RF imbalance, to achieve a high image rejection ratio (IRR). The RF waveguide block was manufactured by micromilling and populated by single-ended SIS mixers developed earlier for upgrade of the CHAMP+ high-band array on the APEX telescope. These SIS mixers have double-sideband (DSB) noise temperatures from 210 to 400 K. The assembled 2SB mixer yields a SSB noise temperature from 450 to 900 K, with an IRR above 15 dB in 95% of the band. Comparing the DSB and the SSB sensitivities, we find that the waveguide losses are as low as expected and do not exceed 0.6 dB. The presented mixer is a prototype for use in a 2SB dual polarization receiver planned for deployment on the APEX telescope.
We report on the design and characterization of two full height waveguide SIS mixers for astronomical applications: a Double Side Band (DSB) fixed-tuned mixer covering the 225-370 GHz band ( 50 % of relative bandwidth), and a tunable Single Side Band (SSB) mixer covering the 247-360 GHz frequency range. The DSB receiver noise temperature we have measured is below 50 K over a bandwidth larger than 100 GHz for the DSB mixer and has a minimum of 27 K (uncorrected) at 336 GHz; to our knowledge this is the lowest noise ever reported at this frequency. A receiver noise temperature below 80 K and an image band rejection around -14 dB were measured over most of the band of the SSB mixer. Both mixers use similar chips that integrate a parallel tuning inductor with a radial microstrip stub to compensate for the junction capacitance of 75 fF (junction size 1 μm 2 ). A stability criterion for intrinsically DSB and SSB mixers under typical operating conditions has been derived. The receiver designs have been optimised in order to guarantee a low mixer noise temperature while maintaining adequate gain and stable operation over the whole frequency bands of interest.
This repost describes our results on development of low-noise heterodyne THz receivers for ground based and space radio astronomy. Superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixers that employ high quality Nb-based tunnel junctions are the key element of the most sensitive heterodyne THz receivers. In particular we present here the SIS receivers for frequency range 211-275 GHz and 800-950 GHz with double sideband (DSB) noise temperature of about 25 K and 220 K, respectively. The latest results on development, fabrication techniques and experimental study of the SIS receivers will be discussed.