Frequency stability and phase noise performance of X-band to Ka-band active multiplier

Author

Bara-Maillet, R. ; Creedon, D.L. ; Parker, S.R. ; Le Floch, J.-M. ; Tobar, M.E.

Author_Institution

Sch. of Phys., Univ. of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia

Volume

51

Issue

24

fYear

2015

Firstpage

2015

Lastpage

2017

Abstract

The performance of an active frequency doubler used to generate a pump signal for a solid-state microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation (MASER) based on paramagnetic impurity ions in sapphire is reported. The frequency doubler has been characterised in terms of phase noise, power dependence and frequency stability (Allan variance) for an output frequency range between 20 and 40 GHz. With the measurement system referenced to a 10 MHz hydrogen MASER, the doubler exhibits a single sideband phase noise of ~-108 dBc/Hz at 1 Hz offset frequency, from which an upper limit fractional frequency instability of about 2 × 10^-16 at 1 s integration time is estimated.

Keywords

frequency multipliers; frequency stability; masers; Allan variance; Ka-band active multiplier; active frequency doubler; frequency 1 Hz; frequency 10 MHz; frequency 20 GHz to 40 GHz; frequency stability; paramagnetic impurity ions; phase noise; power dependence; pump signal; sapphire; solid-state MASER; solid-state microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation; time 1 s;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Electronics Letters

Publisher

iet

ISSN

0013-5194

Type

jour

DOI

10.1049/el.2015.1952

Filename

7335742