Low noise SIS receiver performance using Pb alloy tunnel junctions

Author

Davies, S.R. ; Little, L.T.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Phys., Bath Univ., UK

Volume

145

Issue

5

fYear

1998

fDate

10/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

375

Lastpage

378

Abstract

A receiver noise temperature of 61K (DSB) has been measured for a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) heterodyne receiver operating at 232 GHz, the lowest value reported to date for such a receiver employing a lead alloy junction. Analysis of the losses of the receiver components yields mixer noise temperature and conversion loss, T_m=24 K and L_m=2.1 dB (DSB). These are compared with predictions based on 3-port quantum mixer theory, made using the measured characteristics of the junction and an equivalent circuit for the waveguide mixer mount deduced from scaled modelling experiments

Keywords

circuit noise; equivalent circuits; gold alloys; indium alloys; lead alloys; losses; millimetre wave mixers; millimetre wave receivers; superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixers; 2.1 dB; 232 GHz; 24 K; 268 GHz; 3-port quantum mixer theory; 345 GHz; 61 K; Pb alloy tunnel junctions; Pb-In-Au alloy; PbInAu; conversion loss; equivalent circuit; losses; low noise SIS receiver performance; mixer noise temperature; noise temperature; scaled modelling experiments; superconductor-insulator-superconductor heterodyne receiver; waveguide mixer mount;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwaves, Antennas and Propagation, IEE Proceedings

Publisher

iet

ISSN

1350-2417

Type

jour

DOI

10.1049/ip-map:19982251

Filename

741951