Noise performance of an eight-sideband parametric mixer

H. J. C. Blume

Zhi Tong, Andreas O. J. Wiberg, Evgeny Myslivets +4 more

Noise performance of dual-pump, multi-sideband parametric mixer operated in phase-insensitive mode is investigated theoretically and experimentally. It is shown that, in case when a large number of multicasting idlers are generated, the noise performance is strictly dictated by the dispersion characteristics of the mixer. We find that the sideband noise performance is significantly degraded in anomalous dispersion region permitting nonlinear noise amplification. In contrast, in normal dispersion region, the noise performance converges to the level of four-sideband parametric process, rather than deteriorates with increased sideband creation. Low noise generation mandates precise dispersion-induced phase mismatch among pump and sideband waves in order to control the noise coupling. We measure the noise performance improvement for a many-sideband, multi-stage mixer by incorporating new design technique.

H. Merkel, Biddut Kumar Banik

Z. Tong, Andreas O. J. Wiberg, Evgeny Myslivets +4 more

We, for the first time, demonstrate localization of noise coupling between sidebands in a multi-stage parametric multicasting mixer. A noise performance improvement of up to 2 dB, compared to the single-stage case, was observed experimentally.

Perilla Rozo, Carlos Andrés Romano

Alexander B Zorin

A quantum-statistical analysis of the signal and noise performance of the quasiparticle (SIS) heterodyne mixers is presented. In contrast with the earlier theories, the quantum properties of the signal source have been taken into consistent consideration. In the quantum range of sensitivity the noise properties of the mixer can be characterized by the noise parameter ΘNintroduced earlier for the parametric amplifiers. Using the conventional 3-port model of the mixer circuit and the microscopic theory of the superconducting tunnel junctions we have obtained a general expression for ΘNand evaluated it numerically for various quasiparticle current step widths, dc bias voltages, local oscillator powers, signal frequencies ωs, signal source admittances Ysand operation temperatures T. In a reasonable range of these parameters,\Theta_{N}^{DSB}has turned out to be less than the so-called quantum limith\omega_{s}/2. On the contrary, in the single sideband mode of the mixer performance, ΘNis always larger thanh\omega_{s}/2. The difference between the two modes of operation is discussed from the point of view of the quantum theory of measurements.