Abstract
We have developed broadband SIS heterodyne receivers for the frequency ranges from 440 to 500 GHz and 630 to 690 GHz. The mixerblocks contain a punched waveguide cavity which forms a fixed backshort. The substrate channel is sawed across the waveguide. The horn antenna is flanged to the mixerblock. The blocks are easy and quickly to manufacture even for the small dimensions needed in the submm wavelength range. We use Nb-Al2O3-Nb junctions with areas of 0.8 µm2 and integrated three step niobium tuning structures. With this design we achieve instantaneous double sideband receiver noise temperatures around 120 K over the frequency range from 660 to 690 GHz and around 80 K from 440 to 500 GHz. The mixer performance agrees well with the design calculations for the tuning structures.
Similar content being viewed by others
Reference
M. Salez, P. Febvre, W. R. McGrath, B. Bumble, H. G. LeDuc, "An SIS waveguide heterodyne receiver for 600–635 GHz",Int. J. of Infrared and Millimeter Waves 15, pp. 349–368, (1994)
J.W. Kooi, C. K. Walker, H. G. LeDuc, T. R. Hunter, D. J. Benford, T. G. Phillips, "A low noise 665 GHz SIS quasi-particle waveguide receiver",Int. J. of Infrared and Millimeter Waves 15, pp. 477–492, (1994)
K. Jacobs, U. Müller, U. Schwenk,D. Diehl, C. E. Honingh, S. Haas, "SIS receivers with large instantaneous bandwidth for radio astronomy",Proc. Fifth Int. Symp. on Space Terahertz Tech., pp 60–72, Michigan, (1994)
J. Zmuidzinas, H. G. LeDuc, J. A. Stern, S. A. Cypher, "Two junction tuning circuits for submillimeter SIS mixers",IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech., Vol. 42, pp. 698–706, (1994)
K.F. Schuster, A. I. Harris, K.-H. Gundlach, "A 691 GHz SIS receiver for radio astronomy",Int. J. of Infrared and Millimeter Waves 14, pp. 1867–1887, (1993)
B. N. Ellison, R. E. Miller, "A low noise 230 GHz SIS receiver",Int. J. of Infrared and Millimeter Waves 8, pp. 609–625, (1987)
R.Blundell, C.-Y. E. Tong, D. C. Papa, R. L. Leombruno, X. Zhang, S. Paine, J. A. Stern, H. G. LeDuc, B. Bumble, "A Wideband Fixed-Tuned SIS Receiver for 200 GHz Operation",Proc. Fifth Int. Symp. on Space Terahertz Tech., pp 27–37, Michigan, (1994)
R.Blundell, C.-Y. E. Tong, J. W. Barrett, R. L. Leombruno, S. Paine, D. C. Papa, X. Zhang,, "A 400–500 GHz SIS Receiver",Proc. European SIS User Meeting, Köln (1994)
Aremco Products, Inc, Ossining, New York, USA
Radiometer Physics GmbH, Meckenheim, Germany
A. V. Räisänen, W. R. McGrath, D. G. Crete, P. L. Richards, "Scaled Model Measurements of Embedding Impedances for SIS Waveguide Mixers",Int. Jour. of Infrared and Millimeter Waves 6, pp. 1169–1189, (1985)
K. Jacobs, U. Kotthaus, B. Vowinkel, "Simulated Performance and Model Measurements of an SIS Waveguide Mixer using Integrated Tuning Structures",Int. Jour. of Infrared and Millimeter Waves 13, pp 15–26, (1992)
D. C. Mattis and J. Bardeen, "Theory of the Anomalous Skin Effect in Normal and Superconducting Materials",Phys. Rev.,111, pp 412–417, (1958)
R. L. Kautz, "Picosecond pulses on superconducting striplines",J. Appl. Phys.,49, pp. 308–314, (1978)
H. van de Stadt, SRON, Groningen, personal communication, (1995)
W. H. Chang, "The inductance of a superconducting strip transmission line",J. Appl. Phys. 50, pp. 8129–8134, (1979)
B. Vowinkel, Ph. Müller, "Cryogenic L-band HEMT-amplifier with a noise figure of less than 0.1 dB",Proc. 5th. Microwave and Optronics Conf., pp. 653–658, Stuttgart, (1990)
J. R. Tucker, "Quantum limited detection in tunnel junction mixers",IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-15, pp. 1234–1258, (1979)
J. R. Tucker, M. J. Feldman, "Quantum detection at millimeter wavelengths",Rev. Mod. Phys.,57, 1055–1113, (1985)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Haas, S., Honingh, C.E., Hottgenroth, D. et al. Low noise broadband tunerless waveguide sis receivers for 440–500 GHz and 630–690 GHz. Int J Infrared Milli Waves 17, 493–506 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088024
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088024