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Proceedings of the IEEE

Josephson-type superconducting tunnel junctions as generators of microwave and submillimeter wave radiation

D. N. Langenberg, Douglas J. Scalapino, Barry N. Taylor

Published Jan 1, 1966• 143 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The use of Josephson-type superconducting tunnel junctions (two superconductors separated by a very thin insulating layer) as generators of radiation in the range 5 GHz to 1000 GHz is discussed. To this end, the results of recent experiments on the observation of X-band radiation from such junctions are presented, along with a complete discussion of the theory of such junctions. Their potential use as detectors, voltage sources, and harmonic multipliers is also discussed.

DOI
10.1109/proc.1966.4776

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Submillimeter wave generation using Josephson junction arrays

K. L. Wan, A. K. Jain, James E. Lukens

A submillimeter-wave oscillator using a phase-locked array of Josephson junctions is demonstrated. With an array of 40 shunted tunnel junctions, the oscillator delivers 1 mu W of power at 350 GHz into a 60- Omega load on the chip. The operating frequency of the oscillator is tunable over a range of about 10%. Experiments on two coupled lead alloy tunnel junctions show that Josephson oscillations exist to about 1 THz. Using a similar design and a higher gap superconductor such as NbN for the transmission lines, arrays operating at 1 THz with power outputs of 1 mW should be feasible.>

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics•Mar 1, 1989•25 citations
The use of Josephson-type superconducting tunnel junctions (two superconductors separated by a very thin insulating layer) as generators of radiation in the range 5 GHz to 1000 GHz is discussed. To this end, the results of recent experiments on the observation of X-band radiation from such junctions are presented, along with a complete discussion of the theory of such junctions. Their potential use as detectors, voltage sources, and harmonic multipliers is also discussed.
We report on tunable submillimeter-wave radiation sources based on micrometer-sized superconducting tunnel junction arrays optimized within a bandwidth of 350-520 GHz. The arrays consist of 10, 20 and 40 Superconductor-Insulator- Superconductor (SIS) parallel-connected Nb/AlOx/Nb junctions embedded in superconducting microstrip lines. A SIS twin-junction is integrated along with each array to detect output signals. The pumped detector’s I-V characteristic exhibits clearly photon-assisted quasiparticule steps when the arrays are biased upon corresponding Josephson resonances ranging from 370 to 520 GHz.
Superconducting tunnel diodes (SISs) are investigated for both the generation and detection of submillimeter wavelengths. For detection, heterodyne receivers using SISs are investigated. Josephson currents are found to have a large effect on SIS mixers in the submillimeter, even though their effect is less at lower frequencies. At 492 GHz, fixer conversion gain increased by 4 dB when Josephson currents are not suppressed by a magnetic field. A much higher noise is seen in this gain mode, but further investigation of this recently discovered phenomenon is warranted. For submillimeter generation, a two-dimensional array of SISs is investigated. The ac Josephson effect in the SIS is expected to deliver submillimeter power into a free-space radiation mode traveling perpendicular to the array. No experimental devices have been developed yet, but the authors show computer simulations and microwave scale model measurements of array structures.
We report heterodyne measurements of Josephson microwave radiation emitted by a parallel array of small superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junctions at submillimeter-wave frequencies. The array consists of five Nb/Al–AlOx/Nb junctions nonevenly distributed in a niobium superconducting stripline, and is optimized for rf coupling in the 450–640 GHz range. We observed Fiske-like resonant steps in its I-V curve in the presence of magnetic field. The device was placed in a waveguide mount, and its radiation was quasioptically coupled out of the cryostat, to a SIS-mixer spectrometer in the same frequency range, with a 4–8 GHz band for spectral analysis. We detected a coherent signal in the spectra when the array was biased on the first and third steps, respectively, at the first harmonic frequency of 242 GHz and at the fundamental frequency of 493 GHz, both being the Josephson frequencies associated with their dc voltages. This strongly suggests that this type of parallel arrays optimized for wideband rf coupling, though strongly discretized, hosts dynamic fluxon regimes similar to long Josephson junctions, which could find applications in superconducting digital electronics or integrated heterodyne submillimeter-wave receivers.
A submillimeter-wave oscillator using a phase-locked array of Josephson junctions is demonstrated. With an array of 40 shunted tunnel junctions, the oscillator delivers 1 mu W of power at 350 GHz into a 60- Omega load on the chip. The operating frequency of the oscillator is tunable over a range of about 10%. Experiments on two coupled lead alloy tunnel junctions show that Josephson oscillations exist to about 1 THz. Using a similar design and a higher gap superconductor such as NbN for the transmission lines, arrays operating at 1 THz with power outputs of 1 mW should be feasible.>