High temperature superconducting microwave devices for satellite applications

With the ever increasing use of the electromagnetic spectrum and the demand for higher bandwidth transmission systems, the existing frequency allocations for both terrestrial and satellite communications systems are becoming ever more congested. This has resulted in a `market pull´ for spectrally efficient systems, with the emphasis to date on coding techniques and modulation schemes. This in turn has placed greater demands on satellite payload systems, where mass and volume are at a premium. This paper addresses the problem at a more basic level by high-lighting recent advances in materials technology. Specifically, it discusses high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials and the impact that such materials could have on satellite technology and signal processing. Further, experimental results are presented for simple microwave devices (such as resonators and delay lines) that form the building blocks of more complicated structures such as filters and correlators