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 hybrid superconductive/semiconductive microwave receiver

A. Romano, Raafat R. Mansour, Fraser S. Thomson

Published Jun 1, 1997• 4 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A 6 GHz hybrid superconductive/semiconductive microwave receiver (HSSMR) has been developed. It consists of an HTS microstrip preselect filter, a cryogenic LNA, a commercially available off-the-shelf mixer, and a superconducting local oscillator (LO). The operating bandwidth is 500 MHz, which is centered at an RF frequency of 5.9 GHz and a corresponding IF frequency of 4.483 GHz. Downconversion is facilitated by a 10.383 GHz LO. The oscillator incorporates an HTS/sapphire resonator with a measured unloaded Q of 98100, at 77 K. The entire receiver is cooled to an operating temperature of 77 K. The measured performance is given for each of the components and for the overall receiver. The resultant receiver conversion gain is 27.5 dB and the associated noise figure is less than 0.7 dB.

DOI
10.1109/77.621980

Related papers

Terahertz Communication Demonstration by using a High-Tc Superconducting Josephson Receiver Integrated with a Miniature Cryocooler

Xiang Gao, Jia Du, Ting Zhang +3 more

This paper presents the terahertz communication demonstration by using a quasi-optically coupled high-$T_{\mathrm{c}}$superconducting (HTS) Josephson receiver. The receiver consists of a broadband HTS Josephson-junction mixer integrated with a cryogenic low noise amplifier inside a miniature cryocooler. The noise and conversion properties of the broadband HTS mixer versus the bias current and local oscillator (LO) power, are thoroughly investigated for different operating temperatures and frequencies. Based on such HTS receiver frontend, a 320-GHz wireless communication link was established at the UTS laboratory and demonstrated by using the QPSK and 16QAM modulations, respectively.

IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Workshop Series on Advanced Materials and Processes for RF and THz Applications (IMWS-AMP)•Nov 15, 2021•3 citations

A Low-noise Balanced SIS Mixer for the 790-950 GHz Band

Takafumi Kojima, Yasunori FUJII, Yoshinori Uzawa

We have developed a low-noise balanced superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer using a waveguide 3-dB 90-degree hybrid coupler over the radio frequency (RF) range of 790-950 GHz and intermediate frequency range of 4-12 GHz at an operating temperature of 4 K. The RF coupler was carefully designed in regards to machining errors so that the entire amplitude imbalance including the mixer gain became smaller. The fabricated coupler was characterized at both room and cryogenic temperature. The receiver noise temperature of the balanced SIS mixer was below 350 K over the entire frequency band and the local oscillator (LO) noise rejection ratio was estimated to be more than 15 dB. This result is equivalent to state-ofthe-art mixer performance at this frequency range.

TEION KOGAKU (Journal of Cryogenics and Superconductivity Society of Japan)•Jan 1, 2014•2 citations

Noise figure of HTS JJ MMIC downconverter at 12 GHz

Kenji Suzuki, S. Yoshikawa, Kenzo Yamaguchi +8 more

A YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / (YBCO) step-edge microbridge JJ (Josephson junction), two 12-GHz YBCO microstrip bandpass filters, a 1-GHz YBCO filter, and current bias and voltage monitor circuits were successfully combined on a 20-mm*20-mm MgO substrate and integrated into a frequency downconverter for receiving DBS (direct broadcast satellite) signals. The YBCO downconverter and the GaAs low-noise IF (intermediate frequency) amplifier were combined in a microwave cryostat. The dependence of mixing signals on temperature and LO (local oscillator) input power was measured. The conversion gain and the noise figure corresponding to the YBCO downconverter package were -14.5 dB and 12.2 dB, respectively, at 15 K and low LO power (-25 dBm). The first demonstration of the HTS (high-temperature superconductive) subsystem, i.e. the monolithic YBCO downconverter, shows potential for applications in mobile radio communications and satellite broadcasting.>

IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium digest•Dec 31, 2002•10 citations

Superconductive hot-electron-bolometer mixer receiver for 800-GHz operation

Jonathan H. Kawamura, R. Blundell, Edward Tong +8 more

In this paper, we describe a superconductive hot-electron-bolometer mixer receiver designed to operate in the partially transmissive 350-/spl mu/m atmospheric window. The receiver employs an NbN thin-film microbridge as the mixer element, in which the main cooling mechanism of the hot electrons is through electron-phonon interaction. At a local-oscillator frequency of 808 GHz, the measured double-sideband receiver noise temperature is T/sub RX/=970 K, across a 1-GHz intermediate-frequency bandwidth centered at 1.8 GHz. We have measured the linearity of the receiver and the amount of local-oscillator power incident on the mixer for optimal operation, which is P/sub LO//spl ap/1 /spl mu/W. This receiver was used in making observations as a facility instrument at the Heinrich Hertz Telescope, Mt. Graham, AZ, during the 1998-1999 winter observing season.

IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques•Apr 1, 2000•22 citations

Integrated superconducting receivers

V. P. Koshelets, S. V. Shitov

The concept of a fully superconducting integrated receiver is developed and experimentally tested. This single-chip sub-mm wave receiver includes a planar antenna integrated with a SIS mixer and an internal superconducting Josephson-type local oscillator (flux-flow oscillator, FFO). The receiver is tested with a DSB noise temperature below 100 K around 500 GHz being pumped by its internal local oscillator (LO). The instantaneous bandwidth of 15-20% is estimated via FTS and heterodyne measurements that meet the requirements of most practical applications. The far field antenna beam is measured as ≈ f /10 with sidelobes below -16 dB that is suitable for coupling to a real telescope antenna. A nine-pixel imaging array receiver with each pixel containing an internally pumped receiver chip is developed and tested. A linewidth of the phase locked FFO as low as 1 Hz is measured relative to a reference oscillator in the frequency range 270-440 GHz. An rf amplifier on the base of a dc SQUID is developed and tested showing a noise figure below 10 K at 4 GHz and a bandwidth of about 300 MHz. This amplifier can be included as a part of an integrated receiver that is valuable for array applications.

Superconductor Science and Technology•May 1, 2000•238 citations

600-GHz high-temperature superconducting sub-harmonic mixer coupled using a double-Y-type slot integrated lens antenna

Xiang Gao, Huanxin Li, Ting Zhang +4 more

In this paper, we present a quasi-optically coupled 600-GHz high-temperature superconducting (HTS) sub-harmonic mixer for communication and sensing applications. The mixer features an innovative double-Y-type slot integrated lens antenna, which can efficiently couple the radio frequency (RF) and local oscillator (LO) signals with a small frequency ratio by exciting the half-wave and full-wave resonant current modes on the slot, respectively. Considering the low impedance characteristics of HTS Josephson junctions, a coplanar-waveguide stepped impedance transformer is utilized for minimizing the mismatching loss. A cascaded filter network is designed to prevent the high-frequency signal leakage at both bands while coupling the intermediate-frequency (IF) signal output efficiently. Based on this antenna design and an established HTS step-edge junction technology, a 600-GHz mixer prototype was designed, fabricated and measured, which was compared with the simulation results. The achieved conversion gain and noise temperature are the best performance specs as reported to date for HTS harmonic mixers at comparable frequencies and operating temperatures.

Optics Express•Aug 30, 2022•5 citations
A 6 GHz hybrid superconductive/semiconductive microwave receiver (HSSMR) has been developed. It consists of an HTS microstrip preselect filter, a cryogenic LNA, a commercially available off-the-shelf mixer, and a superconducting local oscillator (LO). The operating bandwidth is 500 MHz, which is centered at an RF frequency of 5.9 GHz and a corresponding IF frequency of 4.483 GHz. Downconversion is facilitated by a 10.383 GHz LO. The oscillator incorporates an HTS/sapphire resonator with a measured unloaded Q of 98100, at 77 K. The entire receiver is cooled to an operating temperature of 77 K. The measured performance is given for each of the components and for the overall receiver. The resultant receiver conversion gain is 27.5 dB and the associated noise figure is less than 0.7 dB.
This paper presents the terahertz communication demonstration by using a quasi-optically coupled high-TcT_{\mathrm{c}}Tc​superconducting (HTS) Josephson receiver. The receiver consists of a broadband HTS Josephson-junction mixer integrated with a cryogenic low noise amplifier inside a miniature cryocooler. The noise and conversion properties of the broadband HTS mixer versus the bias current and local oscillator (LO) power, are thoroughly investigated for different operating temperatures and frequencies. Based on such HTS receiver frontend, a 320-GHz wireless communication link was established at the UTS laboratory and demonstrated by using the QPSK and 16QAM modulations, respectively.
We have developed a low-noise balanced superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer using a waveguide 3-dB 90-degree hybrid coupler over the radio frequency (RF) range of 790-950 GHz and intermediate frequency range of 4-12 GHz at an operating temperature of 4 K. The RF coupler was carefully designed in regards to machining errors so that the entire amplitude imbalance including the mixer gain became smaller. The fabricated coupler was characterized at both room and cryogenic temperature. The receiver noise temperature of the balanced SIS mixer was below 350 K over the entire frequency band and the local oscillator (LO) noise rejection ratio was estimated to be more than 15 dB. This result is equivalent to state-ofthe-art mixer performance at this frequency range.
A YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7- delta / (YBCO) step-edge microbridge JJ (Josephson junction), two 12-GHz YBCO microstrip bandpass filters, a 1-GHz YBCO filter, and current bias and voltage monitor circuits were successfully combined on a 20-mm*20-mm MgO substrate and integrated into a frequency downconverter for receiving DBS (direct broadcast satellite) signals. The YBCO downconverter and the GaAs low-noise IF (intermediate frequency) amplifier were combined in a microwave cryostat. The dependence of mixing signals on temperature and LO (local oscillator) input power was measured. The conversion gain and the noise figure corresponding to the YBCO downconverter package were -14.5 dB and 12.2 dB, respectively, at 15 K and low LO power (-25 dBm). The first demonstration of the HTS (high-temperature superconductive) subsystem, i.e. the monolithic YBCO downconverter, shows potential for applications in mobile radio communications and satellite broadcasting.>
In this paper, we describe a superconductive hot-electron-bolometer mixer receiver designed to operate in the partially transmissive 350-/spl mu/m atmospheric window. The receiver employs an NbN thin-film microbridge as the mixer element, in which the main cooling mechanism of the hot electrons is through electron-phonon interaction. At a local-oscillator frequency of 808 GHz, the measured double-sideband receiver noise temperature is T/sub RX/=970 K, across a 1-GHz intermediate-frequency bandwidth centered at 1.8 GHz. We have measured the linearity of the receiver and the amount of local-oscillator power incident on the mixer for optimal operation, which is P/sub LO//spl ap/1 /spl mu/W. This receiver was used in making observations as a facility instrument at the Heinrich Hertz Telescope, Mt. Graham, AZ, during the 1998-1999 winter observing season.
The concept of a fully superconducting integrated receiver is developed and experimentally tested. This single-chip sub-mm wave receiver includes a planar antenna integrated with a SIS mixer and an internal superconducting Josephson-type local oscillator (flux-flow oscillator, FFO). The receiver is tested with a DSB noise temperature below 100 K around 500 GHz being pumped by its internal local oscillator (LO). The instantaneous bandwidth of 15-20% is estimated via FTS and heterodyne measurements that meet the requirements of most practical applications. The far field antenna beam is measured as ≈ f /10 with sidelobes below -16 dB that is suitable for coupling to a real telescope antenna. A nine-pixel imaging array receiver with each pixel containing an internally pumped receiver chip is developed and tested. A linewidth of the phase locked FFO as low as 1 Hz is measured relative to a reference oscillator in the frequency range 270-440 GHz. An rf amplifier on the base of a dc SQUID is developed and tested showing a noise figure below 10 K at 4 GHz and a bandwidth of about 300 MHz. This amplifier can be included as a part of an integrated receiver that is valuable for array applications.
In this paper, we present a quasi-optically coupled 600-GHz high-temperature superconducting (HTS) sub-harmonic mixer for communication and sensing applications. The mixer features an innovative double-Y-type slot integrated lens antenna, which can efficiently couple the radio frequency (RF) and local oscillator (LO) signals with a small frequency ratio by exciting the half-wave and full-wave resonant current modes on the slot, respectively. Considering the low impedance characteristics of HTS Josephson junctions, a coplanar-waveguide stepped impedance transformer is utilized for minimizing the mismatching loss. A cascaded filter network is designed to prevent the high-frequency signal leakage at both bands while coupling the intermediate-frequency (IF) signal output efficiently. Based on this antenna design and an established HTS step-edge junction technology, a 600-GHz mixer prototype was designed, fabricated and measured, which was compared with the simulation results. The achieved conversion gain and noise temperature are the best performance specs as reported to date for HTS harmonic mixers at comparable frequencies and operating temperatures.