Journal de Physique IV (Proceedings)

Design and characterization of 225-370 GHz DSB and 247-360 GHz SSB full height waveguide SIS mixers

B. Lazareff, Dominique Billon-Pierron, A. Navarrini, I. Péron

Published May 1, 2002• 5 citations

Abstract

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.

DOI: 10.1051/jp420020059

Related papers

A full-band waveguide SIS receiver with integrated tuning for 75-100 GHz

Dag Winkler, N. G. Ugras, A. Hodge Worsham +3 more

This paper reports on the performance of a broadband SIS receiver with no mechanical tuning elements was scale modelled and tested. The mixer mount had a broadband waveguide to microstripline transition consisting of a 4-step Chebychev single ridge transformer. The last step of the ridge connected the waveguide to a microstripline circuit. The on-chip circuit consisted of a microstripline, which transmitted the rf and the local oscillator signals to the SIS mixer. Some chips included a thin film strip inductor in parallel with the mixer. Both the SIS element and the inductor had rf grounds provided by 90{degrees} radial stubs. The inductor tuned out the junction capacitance to allow operation over the full frequency band. The SIS element can be a single junction or series array using Nb/AlO{sub x}/Nb trilayer tunnel junctions with areas as small as 0.5 {mu}m{sup 2} and V{sub m}(2mV) = 39 mV. Preliminary results indicated a DSB receiver noise temperature of 65-80 K across the band measured at 4.4 K with an internal cryogenic rf hot/cold source and with T{sub if} = 21 K. With another device, we achieved a mixer noise temperature of 35 K at 100 GHz increasing to 45 K at 79.5 andmore » 110 GHZ. Coupled mixer gain of up to +3 dB and negative dynamic resistance on the first photon step were observed. The lowest noise temperature was obtained for an untuned single junction mixer at 80 GHz; T{sub R} = 41 K and T{sub M} = 20 K were measured.« less

IEEE Transactions on MagneticsMar 1, 19910 citations

275–500-GHz Wideband Waveguide SIS Mixers

Takafumi Kojima, M. Kroug, Álvaro González +5 more

We have successfully demonstrated low-noise and wideband SIS mixers for the 275-500-GHz radio-frequency (RF) band, aiming to cover Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array band 7 (275-373 GHz) and band 8 (385-500 GHz) simultaneously. The waveguide SIS mixers integrate a multisection impedance transformer with a parallel-connected-twin-junction or single-junction circuits based on Nb/AlN/Nb trilayers with a critical current density of 31 kA/cm2. In order to achieve the targeted broadband performance, we designed an asymmetric one-side waveguide probe placed across a reduced height waveguide with dimensions 100 μm × 580 μm. The shape of the waveguide probe was optimized to have nearly constant impedance at around 35 Ω in the desired RF range. For evaluation of the receiver performance, we have established a dual-band noise temperature measurement system. The system implements a broadband corrugated horn antenna and a 15-dB RF/local oscillator (LO) waveguide coupler based on WR-2.3 (290 μm × 580 μm) waveguide size. The target bandwidth is too wide for typical LO sources at these high frequencies, and, therefore, we applied a dual-band LO injection system utilizing two different LO sources and an LO diplexer. The IF chain uses a cryogenic isolator and a low-noise amplifier with a typical noise temperature of 2.1 K over the 4-8-GHz range. The measured double sideband receiver noise temperature is two to three times the quantum noise at all LO frequencies for both the twin-junction and the single-junction circuits.

IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and TechnologyOct 1, 201822 citations

Wide-Band, Ultra Low Noise MM-Wave Mixers with a Single Tuning Element

Antti V. Räisänen, Denis Crété, P. L. Richards +1 more

Several SIS quasiparticle mixers have been designed and tested for the frequency range from 80 to 115 GHz. The sliding back short is the only adjustable RF-tuning element. The RF-filter reactance is used a s a fixed RF-matching element. A mixer which uses a single 2 × 2 μm2Pb-alloy junction in a 1/4-height waveguide mount has a coupled conversion gain of GM(DSB) = 2.6 ± 0.5 dB with an associated noise temperature of TM(DSB) = 16.4 ± 1.8 K at the best DSB operation point. The receiver noise temperature TR(DSB) is 27.5 ± 0.8 K for the test apparatus. This mixer provides a SSB receiver noise temperature below 50 K over the frequency range from 91 to 96 GHz, the minimum being TR(SSB) = 44 ± 4 K. Another mixer with an array of five 5 × 5 μm2junctions in series has much lower noise TM(DSB) = 6.6 ± 1.6 K, but less gain GM(DSB) = -5.1 ± 0.5 dB.

European Microwave Conference (EuMC)Sep 1, 19862 citations

A 100-GHz fixed-tuned waveguide SIS mixer exhibiting broad bandwidth and very low noise temperature

Sheng-Gai Shi, Takashi Noguchi, Junji Inatani

This paper presents design and performance data for a 100-GHz waveguide superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer, which is incorporated with a twin-junction device (i.e., two identical junctions connected in parallel through a tuning inductance) and a fixed-tuned broad-band waveguide mixer mount. The 100-GHz mixer is actually developed as a prototype of the 500-GHz one. The constructed 100-GHz SIS receiver results in an overall receiver noise temperature (DSB) of less than 40 K over the frequency range from 80-120 GHz, with a minimum value of just 20 K that is four times as large as the quantum limit (i.e., 4/spl planck//spl omega//k). Such a performance is comparable or even superior to those of the best mechanically tunable waveguide SIS receivers at the same frequency band. In addition, some interesting mixing behaviors related to this two-junction device are described in detail.

IEEE Transactions on Applied SuperconductivityJan 1, 199722 citations

A full-band waveguide SIS receiver with integrated tuning for 75-110 GHz

Dag Winkler, N. G. Ugras, A. Hodge Worsham +3 more

The performance of a broadband SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) receiver with no mechanical tuning elements was modeled and tested. The mixer mount had a broadband-waveguide-to-microstripline transition consisting of a four-step Chebyshev single-ridge transformer. The last step of the ridge connected the waveguide to a microstripline circuit. The on-chip circuit consisted of a microstripline that transmitted the RF and the local oscillator signals to the SIS mixer. Both the SIS element and the inductor had RF grounds provided by 90 degrees radial stubs. The inductor tuned out the junction capacitance to allow operation over the full frequency band. The SIS element can be a single junction or series array using Nb-AlO/sub x/-Nb trilayer tunnel junctions with areas as small as 0.5 mu m/sup 2/ and V/sub m/(2 mV)=39 mV. Preliminary results indicated a DSB receiver noise temperature of 65-80 K across the band measured at 4.4 K with an internal cryogenic RF hot/cold source and with T/sub if/=21 K. With another device, a mixer noise temperature of 35 K at 100 GHz was achieved, increasing to 45 K at 79.5 and 110 GHz. Coupled mixer gain of up to +3 dB and negative dynamic resistance on the first photon step were observed. The lowest noise temperature was obtained for an untuned single-junction mixer at 80 GHz: T/sub R/=41 K and T/sub M/=20 K were measured.

IEEE Transactions on MagneticsMar 1, 199111 citations

Design and Performance of a Sideband Separating SIS Mixer for 800–950 GHz

Andrey V. Khudchenko, M. Yu. Fominsky, Christopher Heiter +11 more

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.

IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and TechnologySep 2, 201921 citations