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IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

Coupling of long Josephson junction oscillators at millimeter-wave frequencies

Matteo Cirillo, Fortunato Santucci, P. Carelli, Maria Gabriella Castellano, Roberto Leoni

Published Mar 1, 1993• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The authors report on results of phase-locking experiments in a system composed of two long Josephson junctions oscillating at millimeter-wave frequencies. The effects of the coherent behavior of the two junctions are visible on the current-voltage characteristic of the long junctions and in the power enhancement effects observed on the current-voltage characteristic of a detector junction. It is shown that is possible to couple two long junctions in such a way that the enhanced radiation can be transmitted to other devices. Results from another mode of operation of the long Josephson junction as an oscillator are also presented. This mode is based on magnetic-field-induced singularities in long junctions (Fiske steps) generated by the interaction of the cavity modes of the junction seen as an open-ended transmission line and the Josephson oscillations. This mode has given very promising results above 200 GHz, where a power of 20 nW was coupled in a 30- Omega normal state resistance tunnel junction.>

DOI
10.1109/77.233964

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Vertical stacks of two Nb/Al-AlO/sub x//Nb long Josephson junctions with nearly identical parameters have been studied experimentally. The magnetic coupling between the junctions was provided by their common electrode of thickness d/spl sime//spl lambda//sub L/. The I-V characteristics displayed flux-flow resonances of the two junctions. Two different mutually phase-locked regimes were found: the lower velocity anti-phase mode, and the high velocity in-phase mode. These modes, while staying locked, could be tuned by the magnetic field in a broad voltage range which corresponds to the Josephson frequencies of 150-600 GHz for the lower mode and 280-400 GHz for the upper mode. Our observations suggest applications of the stacked long Josephson junctions as local oscillators for millimeter and sub-millimeter wave circuits.>

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THE JOSEPHSON JUNCTION AS A 100 GHz OSCILLATOR-MIXER,

Andrew Longacre, Sidney Shapiro

Abstract : The term 'Josephson effects' refers to a number of unusual properties of current flow through a barrier or weak link between two superconductors. Such a structure--called a Josephson junction--gives rise to frequency conversion effects that suggest its use as an oscillator-mixer in the millimeter and submillimeter region. Such a device would offer high sensitivity, broad bandwidth, tunability, and, in certain modes of operation, the possibility of conversion gain. These frequency conversion effects were observed in the range of 100 GHz to 600 GHz and beyond. The junctions were driven by a 75 GHz or 25 GHz klystron while coupled either to a coaxial cavity resonant at 20 GHz or to a resonance at about 500 GHz associated with the junction structure. Lines in the junction voltage-current characteristic were observed which demonstrated that, at certain values of junction bias, power at the rf--or its harmonics--was converted to power at the resonance frequency. An explanation of the experiment is given together with the necessary background, which provides the basis for a discussion of such operational considerations as upper frequency limit, sensitivity, temperature of operation, and saturation behavior at high signal levels. (Author)

•Apr 1, 1970•1 citation
The authors report on results of phase-locking experiments in a system composed of two long Josephson junctions oscillating at millimeter-wave frequencies. The effects of the coherent behavior of the two junctions are visible on the current-voltage characteristic of the long junctions and in the power enhancement effects observed on the current-voltage characteristic of a detector junction. It is shown that is possible to couple two long junctions in such a way that the enhanced radiation can be transmitted to other devices. Results from another mode of operation of the long Josephson junction as an oscillator are also presented. This mode is based on magnetic-field-induced singularities in long junctions (Fiske steps) generated by the interaction of the cavity modes of the junction seen as an open-ended transmission line and the Josephson oscillations. This mode has given very promising results above 200 GHz, where a power of 20 nW was coupled in a 30- Omega normal state resistance tunnel junction.>
We have measured the Josephson radiation emitted at millimeter-wave frequencies by a long Josephson junction dc-current biased on Fiske steps of the current-voltage characteristic. Our measurements demonstrate that differences between dynamic excitation generating Fiske steps and fluxon oscillations giving rise to zero-field steps in long junctions may exist. The radiation, whose maximum measured frequency is 240 GHz, is generated by an in-line junction and detected on a chip by a small planar tunnel junction. From measurements of Shapiro steps amplitude and photon-assisted tunneling steps we find that the coupled radiation has a power tunability of 350 nW and the maximum coupled power is 20 nW in a 30-Ω normal-state resistance tunnel junction.
A small-area Josephson tunnel junction is pumped by the radiation emitted by a long Josephson junction dc biased on a zero-field singularity. Josephson constant voltage steps are observed in the current-voltage characteristic of the small junction at voltages of ±150 μV corresponding to the fundamental frequency of emission of the oscillator. The radiation also gives rise to quasiparticle steps around the gap-sum voltage of the small junction. From the measured current amplitude of the steps we estimate that the maximum power coupled to the small junction is about 90 nW.
The coupling of millimeter-wave radiation from a long Josephson junction to a small-area junction is discussed. The coupling is obtained by means of thin-film technology and the design parameters allowing radiation coupling are discussed. Since the frequency of the oscillator radiation is smaller than the plasma frequency of the detector junction, the latter shows evidence of chaotic dynamics in the current-voltage characteristic. However, very stable zero-crossing bias steps appear for high values of the applied radiation power. The tunability of the oscillator power allows measuring the dependence of the detector critical current on the external radiation to be measured; from this measured dependence and from the observed amplitude of the photon-assisted tunneling steps it is estimated that maximum coupled power is the range of tens of nanowatts.
A system of two vertically stacked Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb long Josephson junctions is studied experimentally. The magnetic coupling between the junctions is provided by their common electrode of the thickness d∼λL. The current-voltage characteristics of the stack displays resonant steps which are understood to be the phase-locked flux-flow resonances of the two junctions. These modes can be tuned by the magnetic field in a broad voltage range which corresponds to the Josephson frequencies between 150 and 600 GHz. Our observations suggest a possibility of application of the stacked long Josephson junctions as local oscillators for millimeter and submillimeter wave circuits.
Vertical stacks of two Nb/Al-AlO/sub x//Nb long Josephson junctions with nearly identical parameters have been studied experimentally. The magnetic coupling between the junctions was provided by their common electrode of thickness d/spl sime//spl lambda//sub L/. The I-V characteristics displayed flux-flow resonances of the two junctions. Two different mutually phase-locked regimes were found: the lower velocity anti-phase mode, and the high velocity in-phase mode. These modes, while staying locked, could be tuned by the magnetic field in a broad voltage range which corresponds to the Josephson frequencies of 150-600 GHz for the lower mode and 280-400 GHz for the upper mode. Our observations suggest applications of the stacked long Josephson junctions as local oscillators for millimeter and sub-millimeter wave circuits.>
Abstract : The term 'Josephson effects' refers to a number of unusual properties of current flow through a barrier or weak link between two superconductors. Such a structure--called a Josephson junction--gives rise to frequency conversion effects that suggest its use as an oscillator-mixer in the millimeter and submillimeter region. Such a device would offer high sensitivity, broad bandwidth, tunability, and, in certain modes of operation, the possibility of conversion gain. These frequency conversion effects were observed in the range of 100 GHz to 600 GHz and beyond. The junctions were driven by a 75 GHz or 25 GHz klystron while coupled either to a coaxial cavity resonant at 20 GHz or to a resonance at about 500 GHz associated with the junction structure. Lines in the junction voltage-current characteristic were observed which demonstrated that, at certain values of junction bias, power at the rf--or its harmonics--was converted to power at the resonance frequency. An explanation of the experiment is given together with the necessary background, which provides the basis for a discussion of such operational considerations as upper frequency limit, sensitivity, temperature of operation, and saturation behavior at high signal levels. (Author)