Determination of the limiting factors in the absolute phase noise of an L-band dielectric resonator oscillator

In an attempt to better understand the noise performance of a state-of-the-art two-stage L-band dielectric resonator oscillator (DRO), a single-stage DRO was constructed for comparison. The results of this investigation are presented. The discussion begins with a brief analysis of the design and temperature performance of the one- and two-stage DROs. The residual and absolute phase noise performance are discussed. The measured data demonstrate the low phase noise capability and excellent frequency stability of the two-stage, 2-GHz DRO