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IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

Design and analysis of an All-NbN SIS mixer using a tuning circuit with two half-wavelength distributed junctions

Yoshinori Uzawa, Mahoto Takeda, Akira Kawakami, Zhen Wang

Published Jun 1, 2003• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We have designed an all-NbN superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer with a broadband tuning circuit for the terahertz band, which enables the use of junctions with a lower current density. It uses the reactance compensation efficiently produced by two half-wavelength distributed junctions connected by a half-wavelength microstripline. Based on the design and simulated noise performance, a tuning circuit using NbN junctions with a current density of 25 kA/cm/sup 2/ should be able to cover the 780-950 GHz band with an SSB receiver noise temperature below 4hfk/sub B/.

DOI
10.1109/tasc.2003.814002

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We have developed a low-noise quasioptical NbN/AlN/NbN superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer that operates at terahertz frequencies. The mixer uses a MgO hyperhemispherical lens with an antireflection cap, a single-crystal NbN log-periodic antenna, and two-junction tuning circuits which employ Al/SiO/NbN microstriplines. The NbN/AlN/NbN junction size was about 0.9 μm in diameter, and the current density was about 45 kA/cm2. The frequency dependence of the receiver noise temperature was investigated by using an optically pumped far-infrared laser and a backward-wave oscillator as a local oscillator at several frequencies from 670 to 1082 GHz. The experimental results showed that the center frequency was around 800 GHz, and the receiver noise temperature measured by the standard Y-factor method was 457 K (DSB) at 783 GHz including a 9-μm-thick Mylar beam splitter loss and other optical losses at the physical bath temperature of 4.2 K. This is the first SIS mixer based on NbN with low-noise performance (12hν/kB) above the gap frequency of Nb.

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All-NbN Quasi-Optical SIS Mixers at Terahertz Frequencies

Yoshinori Uzawa, Then Wang, Akira Kawakami

We have theoretically and experimentally investigated submillimeter-wave receiver performances employing NbN/ALN/NbN tunnel junctions with high current density and high energy. gap. The receiver noise based on parameters for our typical NbN SIS junction were analyzed using Tucker's quantum theory of mixing, which showed that DSB receiver noise temperatures of below 3hv/K B can be achieved by using the NbN SIS junctions for frequencies up to 2 THz. An experimental receiver has been designed and tested for the 1 THz band. The mixer consists of a MgO hyperhemispherical lens with anti-reflection cap, a NbN twin-slot antenna, and NbN tuning circuits. The prepared NbN/A1N/NbN junction size was about 0.5 !mut), and the current density was about 30 kA/cm 2 (o)CJRN = 11 at 1 THz). Although the junctions showed good dc I-V characteristics with a small sub-gap leakage current, the receiver noise temperature measured by the standard Y-factor method was about 2700 K(DSB) at 761 GHz, which is much larger than the theoretical prediction. The relative high noise performance may be caused by the large RF losses in the tuning circuit of polycristalline NbN on the SiO.

•Jan 1, 1997•1 citation
We have designed an all-NbN superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer with a broadband tuning circuit for the terahertz band, which enables the use of junctions with a lower current density. It uses the reactance compensation efficiently produced by two half-wavelength distributed junctions connected by a half-wavelength microstripline. Based on the design and simulated noise performance, a tuning circuit using NbN junctions with a current density of 25 kA/cm/sup 2/ should be able to cover the 780-950 GHz band with an SSB receiver noise temperature below 4hfk/sub B/.
We have designed, fabricated, and tested terahertz superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixers having a self-compensated NbN/AlN/NbN tunnel junction and an epitaxially grown NbN/MgO/NbN microstripline. The junction as a distributed element was 0.8-/spl mu/m wide and 2.4-/spl mu/m long, and its current density was 50 kA/cm/sup 2/. The microstripline consisted of a 200-nm-thick NbN ground plane, a 180-nm-thick MgO insulator, and a 350-nm-thick NbN wiring layer. An investigation of the mixer in our receiver configuration showed flat noise characteristics from 870 to 960 GHz. The lowest receiver noise temperature of about 550 K was obtained at 909 GHz, including a 9-/spl mu/m-thick Mylar beam splitter loss and other optical losses. These characteristics suggest that SIS mixers with self-compensated NbN/AlN/NbN junctions and NbN/MgO/NbN microstriplines are appropriate for used in wideband and low-noise operations at terahertz frequencies.
A circuit that produces broadband impedance matching with low-current-density junctions at submillimeter wavelengths for tuning superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) mixers is described; it consists of half-wavelength distributed SIS junctions connected alternately by half-wavelength microstrip lines. It is made of Nb and was designed for two practical source impedances using numerical calculation based on the Mattis–Bardeen theory of the anomalous skin effect at 660 GHz, assuming SIS junctions with a current density of 5 kA/cm 2 . An SIS mixer tuned using this circuit had a large fractional bandwidth of more than 18%, below -10 dB matching, even though the assumed ω C J R N product was about 16. Investigation of the mixer performance using Tucker's quantum theory of mixing showed that it has excellent broadband and low-noise characteristics compared with conventional mixers consisting of half- or full-wavelength distributed elements.
We have developed a low-noise quasioptical NbN/AlN/NbN superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer that operates at terahertz frequencies. The mixer uses a MgO hyperhemispherical lens with an antireflection cap, a single-crystal NbN log-periodic antenna, and two-junction tuning circuits which employ Al/SiO/NbN microstriplines. The NbN/AlN/NbN junction size was about 0.9 μm in diameter, and the current density was about 45 kA/cm2. The frequency dependence of the receiver noise temperature was investigated by using an optically pumped far-infrared laser and a backward-wave oscillator as a local oscillator at several frequencies from 670 to 1082 GHz. The experimental results showed that the center frequency was around 800 GHz, and the receiver noise temperature measured by the standard Y-factor method was 457 K (DSB) at 783 GHz including a 9-μm-thick Mylar beam splitter loss and other optical losses at the physical bath temperature of 4.2 K. This is the first SIS mixer based on NbN with low-noise performance (12hν/kB) above the gap frequency of Nb.
We have designed and fabricated waveguide superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) receivers at 870 GHz with NbN/AlN/NbN tunnel junctions on an MgO substrate. A waveguide probe was incorporated into the mixer chip for a waveguide-to-microstrip transition. As the tuning circuit for the SIS mixer, we designed a resonant distributed junction whose length is one wavelength and critical current density is 20 kA/cm/sup 2/. The mixing properties were calculated based on the quantum theory of mixing. The SSB mixer noise temperature should be less than 100 K and conversion gain larger than -8.0 dB in the frequency range from 840 to 920 GHz. We also observed the resonance steps of the fabricated SIS mixer. The tuning frequency was slightly higher than the designed frequency.
In this work, a 230 GHz all-NbN superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer was designed and analyzed. The NbN/AlN/NbN tunnel junctions (with an energy gap of 5.7 meV) and NbN/MgO/NbN tuning circuits were utilized. Full-height waveguides and bow-tie waveguide probes were adopted. The signal coupling circuit was designed and optimized to be transmissible to the given band. The quantum mixing characteristics of the all-NbN mixers were optimized with different-size SIS junctions. The mixer with a junction diameter of 1 μm achieves a conversion gain close to 0 dB and a noise temperature close to 40 K. The proposed design and analysis will provide technical support for the recovery and upgrade of the heterodyne receiver for the Leighton Chajnantor Telescope (LCT).
We have theoretically and experimentally investigated submillimeter-wave receiver performances employing NbN/ALN/NbN tunnel junctions with high current density and high energy. gap. The receiver noise based on parameters for our typical NbN SIS junction were analyzed using Tucker's quantum theory of mixing, which showed that DSB receiver noise temperatures of below 3hv/K B can be achieved by using the NbN SIS junctions for frequencies up to 2 THz. An experimental receiver has been designed and tested for the 1 THz band. The mixer consists of a MgO hyperhemispherical lens with anti-reflection cap, a NbN twin-slot antenna, and NbN tuning circuits. The prepared NbN/A1N/NbN junction size was about 0.5 !mut), and the current density was about 30 kA/cm 2 (o)CJRN = 11 at 1 THz). Although the junctions showed good dc I-V characteristics with a small sub-gap leakage current, the receiver noise temperature measured by the standard Y-factor method was about 2700 K(DSB) at 761 GHz, which is much larger than the theoretical prediction. The relative high noise performance may be caused by the large RF losses in the tuning circuit of polycristalline NbN on the SiO.