Title :
Development of the ALMA Band-3 and Band-6 Sideband-Separating SIS Mixers
Author :
Kerr, A.R. ; Shing-Kuo Pan ; Claude, Stephane M. X. ; Dindo, Philip ; Lichtenberger, Arthur W. ; Effland, John E. ; Lauria, Eugene F.
Author_Institution :
Nat. Radio Astron. Obs., Charlottesville, VA, USA
Abstract :
As the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) nears completion, 73 dual-polarization receivers have been delivered for each of Bands 3 (84-116 GHz) and 6 (211-275 GHz). The receivers use sideband-separating superconducting Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb tunnel-junction (SIS) mixers, developed for ALMA to suppress atmospheric noise in the image band. The mixers were designed taking into account dynamic range, input return loss, and signal-to-image conversion (which can be significant in SIS mixers). Typical SSB receiver noise temperatures in Bands 3 and 6 are 30 and 60 K, respectively, and the image rejection is typically 15 dB.
Keywords :
aluminium; aluminium compounds; interference suppression; millimetre wave mixers; niobium; submillimetre wave mixers; superconducting microwave devices; superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixers; tunnelling; ALMA band-3 sideband-separating SIS mixers; ALMA band-6 sideband-separating SIS mixers; Atacama large millimeter-submillimeter array; Nb-Al-AlOx-Nb; SSB receiver noise temperatures; atmospheric noise suppression; dual-polarization receivers; dynamic range; frequency 211 GHz to 275 GHz; frequency 84 GHz to 116 GHz; image band; image rejection; input return loss; sideband-separating superconducting tunnel-junction mixers; signal-to-image conversion; temperature 30 K; temperature 60 K; Amplitude modulation; Arrays; Impedance; Junctions; Mixers; Radio frequency; Receivers; Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA); SIS junction; SIS receiver; heterodyne; image rejecting mixer; interferometer; millimeter-wave; radio astronomy; sideband-separating mixer; superconductor;
Journal_Title :
Terahertz Science and Technology, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TTHZ.2014.2302537
