ISSN:
1077-3118
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
High-temperature-superconducting (HTS) resistively shunted superconducting quantum interference devices, consisting of two yttrium–barium–copper–oxide (YBCO) grain boundary junctions shunted by gold-film resistors of ∼20 μΩ, have been prepared and characterized at temperatures from 17 to 74 K. The small value and stability of the resistor allows narrow-band heterodyne oscillations to be generated between the Josephson oscillations in the individual junctions. The frequency can be precisely controlled in accordance with the ac Josephson effect by adjustment of an external current applied to the YBCO–Au–YBCO shunt resistor, and the linewidth is determined in principle only by Johnson noise in the resistor. Off-chip detection and spectral analysis of the heterodyne signal generated in this way has not been previously reported. Measurements of the signal power (∼nW), the tunability of the center frequency from 5 to 50 MHz, the frequency stability and the linewidth of the heterodyne Josephson oscillation are described. Although linewidth broadening due to nonthermal fluctuations is observed, the linewidth of ∼30 kHz at T=17 K, at a center frequency of 24 MHz, is believed to be the narrowest reported for Josephson oscillations in an HTS device of this type. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.126156