integrated submillimeter and terahertz receivers with superconducting local oscillator

March 24, 2004 Björkliden, Sweden

Integrated Submillimeter and Integrated Submillimeter and Terahertz Receivers with Terahertz Receivers with

Superconducting Local OscillatorSuperconducting Local Oscillator

V.P. Koshelets, S.V. Shitov, P.N. Dmitriev, A.B. Ermakov, L.V.Filippenko, O.V. Koryukin, A.S. Sobolev,

M.Yu. TorgashinInstitute of Radio Engineering and Electronics (IREE), Moscow, Russia

T. de Graauw, W. Luinge, R. Hoogeveen, P. Yagoubov National Institute for Space Research (SRON), the Netherlands

March 24, 2004 Björkliden, Sweden 2

Integrated Submillimeter and Integrated Submillimeter and Terahertz Receivers with Terahertz Receivers with

Superconducting Local OscillatorSuperconducting Local Oscillator

OutlineOutline

· Superconducting Integrated Receiver (SIR) – Introduction· SIR - State of Art· FFO Phase Locking; Phase Noise· SIR with Phase Locked FFO – First Implementation· TErahertz LImb Sounder (TELIS)· Optimization of the FFO for TELIS· 1 THz SIR - Prospects and Limitations· Conclusion


Block Diagram of Superconducting Block Diagram of Superconducting

Integrated ReceiverIntegrated Receiver


Integrated Submm Wave ReceiverIntegrated Submm Wave Receiver Single chip SIS receivers with

superconducting FFO has been studied at frequencies from 100 to 700 GHz

A DSB receiver noise temperature as low as 90 K has been achieved at 500 GHz

9-pixel Imaging Array Receiver has been successfully tested

Phase Locking (PLL) up to 700 GHz

POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS Airborne Receiver for Atmospheric

Research and Environmental Monitoring; Radio Astronomy

Large Imaging Array Receiver Laboratory General Purpose MM &

subMM Wave Receiver


Integrated Receiver MicrocircuitsIntegrated Receiver Microcircuits

Antenna tuner

Antenna tuner

SIS junction1 μm x1 μm

SIS junction1 μm x1 μm

Antenna - 1Antenna - 1

Antenna - 2Antenna - 2

LO injector(1 μm wide /4microstrip line)

LO injector(1 μm wide /4microstrip line)

Antenna tunerAntenna tuner

LO feeder(4 μm wide

microstrip line)

LO feeder(4 μm wide

microstrip line)

DC bias/IF output & control line for Josephson

noise suppression

DC bias/IF output & control line for Josephson

noise suppression

20 m


Replaceable Module of the 500 GHz

Imaging Array Superconducting Integrated Receiver


Nine-pixel

Imaging Array

Receiver Block.


Antenna Beam Pattern of the SIRAntenna Beam Pattern of the SIR


SIR Noise TemperatureSIR Noise Temperature

460 480 500 520 5400

100

200

300

400

500

600

700 Array receiver

Balanced receiver

Inte

gra

ted

rec

eive

r n

ois

e te

mp

erat

ure

(K

)

FFO frequency (GHz)


Flux Flow OscillatorFlux Flow Oscillator


FFO + SIS; Frequency ControlFFO + SIS; Frequency Control

FFO frequency 265 GHz437 GHz570 GHz

670 GHz


FFO + SIS; Power ControlFFO + SIS; Power Control


Circuit for FFO LinewidthCircuit for FFO Linewidth Study & PLStudy & PL


Example of FFO SpectrumExample of FFO Spectrum

431,56 431,58 431,60 431,62 431,64

-50

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

Experimental Data Symmeterizated Data Lorentzian Gaussian

FF

O P

ow

er (d

Bm)

FFO Frequency (GHz)


Spectra of the FFO at 707.45 GHz

707,40 707,42 707,44 707,46 707,48 707,50

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

a)

Span - 100 MHz

Resolution bandwidth - 1 MHz

IF O

utp

ut

Po

wer

(d

Bm

)

FFO Frequency (GHz)

Phase Locked at 707.45 GHz

Frequency Locked


Down-convertedDown-converted spectrum of the spectrum of the FFO phase locked at 707.5 GHzFFO phase locked at 707.5 GHz

399,99995 400,00000 400,00005

-90

-80

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

b)

Span - 100 Hz

Resolution bandwidth - 1 Hz

IF

Ou

tpu

t P

ow

er (

dB

m)

Down-converted FFO Frequency (MHz)

FFO Phase Locked at 707.45 GHz


Phase Noise of the PL FFO Phase Noise of the PL FFO

10 100 1k 10k 100k 1M 10M 100M-140

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

Phase locked FFO, fFFO

= 707.45 GHz (faut

= 6.3 MHz) Phase locked FFO, f

FFO = 450 GHz (f

aut = 0.5 MHz)

HP Synthesizer at 18 GHz * n2 (n = 24) Absolute FFO phase noise, f

FFO = 450 GHz (n = 24)

Absolute FFO phase noise, fFFO

= 707.45 GHz (n = 39) HP Synthesizer at 18 GHz HIFI Specifications for 24 - 35 GHz Synthesizer

Ph

as

e N

ois

e (

dB

c/H

z)

Offset from Carrier (Hz)


Microcircuit of the superconducting

integrated receiver with phase-locked

Josephson oscillator.

The chip size is 4 mm by 4 mm.

1

2

3

4

5

9 10 11 12 13 14

15

16

17

18

19

6 7 8

20

21 23 24 2522

26 27

28


Spectral Resolution of the SIR Spectral Resolution of the SIR With Phase-locked FFOWith Phase-locked FFO

362,6540 362,6542 362,6544 362,6546 362,6548 362,6550

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

IF O

utp

ut

Po

wer

(d

Bm

)

FFO Frequency (GHz)

Span - 1 MHz

Resolution bandwidth - 10 kHz


Spectral line of SOSpectral line of SO22 at at 326.867 GHz326.867 GHz detected by SIR with phased-locked FFO detected by SIR with phased-locked FFO

and processed by AOSand processed by AOS


TELISTELIS

Acronym: TErahertz LImb Sounder Balloon instrument on board the MIPAS

gondola, IMK Karlsruhe Three independent frequency channels,

cryogenic heterodyne receivers:

– 500 GHz by RAL– 500-650 GHz by SRON-IREE– 1.8 THz by DLR (PI)


TELIS ObjectivesTELIS Objectives

Measure many species (together with MIPAS-B), for atmospheric science

Serve as a test platform for new sensors

Serve as validation tool for future satellite missions


Example of the Atmospheric Example of the Atmospheric SpectrumSpectrum


TELIS-SIR Main ParametersTELIS-SIR Main Parameters

## Description Base line Goal1 Input frequency range, GHz 600 - 650 500-6502 Minimum noise temperature in the range (DSB), K 200 2503 Output IF range, GHz 4 - 8 4 - 84 Spectral resolution (width of the spectral channel), MHz 1 15 Contribution to the nearest spectral channel by phased

locked FFO (dynamic range of the spectrometer), dB-20 -20

6 Contribution to a spectral channel by phased locked FFO at 4-6 GHz offset from the carrier, K

20 20

7 LO frequency net (distance between nearest settings of the PL FFO frequency), MHz

< 300 < 300

8 Dissipated power at 4.2 K stage

(including IF amplifiers chain), mW

100 50

9 Operation temperature, K < 4.5 < 4.5


Spectral Ratio of the PL FFO Spectral Ratio of the PL FFO

vs free running FFO linewidthvs free running FFO linewidth


FFO Linewidth: DependenceFFO Linewidth: Dependence on on Frequency and Current DensityFrequency and Current Density


Flux Flow OscillatorFlux Flow Oscillator

RRddBB = = V/ V/ IIBB

RRddCLCL = = VVFFOFFO//IICLCL


0,00 0,02 0,04 0,060,00

0,02

0,04

0,06

0,08

0,10

0,12

0,14

0,16

0,18

RdCl = 0.001 + 2.73*Rd Ib = 30 mA Ib = 27 mA Ib = 21 mA Ib = 15 mA

Rd

CL

(O

hm

)

Rd (Ohm)

RRddCLCL as a function of R as a function of Rdd


Normalized FFO LinewidthNormalized FFO Linewidth

f2 e

h

2

R d K R dCL 2e Iqp( )

2 coth

e V

2 k b T

2 e Is( )

2 coth

e Vk b T

1

2 e

h

R d R dCL I lf I lf


FFO Linewidth on (RFFO Linewidth on (Rdd + R + RddCLCL))


FFO Linewidth (Design issue)FFO Linewidth (Design issue)


Free-running FFO linewidth and Free-running FFO linewidth and spectral ratio of the PL FFO as a spectral ratio of the PL FFO as a function of the FFO frequencyfunction of the FFO frequency


1 THz 1 THz Nb-AlOx-Nb Nb-AlOx-Nb

SIS-mixer with SIS-mixer with Double-dipole Double-dipole Antenna and Antenna and

NbTiN/SiONbTiN/SiO22/Al /Al

Tuning Tuning MicrostripMicrostrip


Double-dipole SIS Mixer Double-dipole SIS Mixer with NbTiN/Al Tunerwith NbTiN/Al Tuner


Nb-AlN-Nb Junctions for THz SIR:Nb-AlN-Nb Junctions for THz SIR:Jc = 8 and 19 kA/cmJc = 8 and 19 kA/cm22

0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,00,0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

RnA = 24 m2

J = 8 kA/cm2

Rj/Rn = 20

Cur

rent

, mA

Voltage, mV

0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,00,00

0,25

0,50

0,75

1,00

1,25

RnA = 10 m2

J = 19 kA/cm2

Rj/Rn = 16

Cur

rent

, mA

Voltage, mV


Nb-AlN-Nb Junctions for THz SIR:Nb-AlN-Nb Junctions for THz SIR: Jc = 70 and 210 kA/cm Jc = 70 and 210 kA/cm22

0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,00

2

4

6

8

10

RnA = 0.9 m2

J = 210 kA/cm2

Rj/Rn = 8

Cur

rent

, mA

Voltage, mV

0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,00

1

2

3

4

RnA = 2.7 m2

J = 70 kA/cm2

Rj/Rn = 12

Cur

rent

, mA

Voltage, mV


Submicron Nb-AlN-Nb junction:Submicron Nb-AlN-Nb junction:S = 0.03 S = 0.03 22; Jc = 21 kA/cm; Jc = 21 kA/cm22; Rj/Rn = 14; Rj/Rn = 14

EBL + CMPEBL + CMP


Nb-AlN-NbN JunctionsNb-AlN-NbN Junctions

0 1 2 3 4 5 60,00

0,05

0,10

0,15

Nb-AlN-NbN

RnS=100 W*m2

Vg = 3.55 mV Rj/Rn = 32

Cu

rren

t, m

A

Voltage, mV


IVCs of the Nb-AlN-NbN FFO, IVCs of the Nb-AlN-NbN FFO, measured at different Hmeasured at different H


Spectra of the Nb-AlN-NbN FFOSpectra of the Nb-AlN-NbN FFOat 597 GHz, at 597 GHz, f = 3.5 MHz; SR = 70%f = 3.5 MHz; SR = 70%


THz SIR – Possible ImplementationsTHz SIR – Possible Implementations

FFO FFO MixerMixer NbN-MgO/AlN-NbN NbN-MgO/AlN-NbNVg up to 6 mV (1.5 THz) PLO 2 (1 W at 1 THz)

NbN-MgO/AlN-NbN Phonon Cooled NbN HEB PLO 0.1 W ( independent) TR 700 K at 1.5 THz

Stacked NbN-MgO-NbN Phonon Cooled NbN HEBfrequency up to 3 THz


ConclusionConclusion

Optimization of of a Nb-AlOx-Nb Flux-Flow Oscillator design along with a development of the wide-band PLL system allow us to realize a FFO phase locking to a reference oscillator in the frequency range from 250 to 715 GHz. The measured absolute FFO phase noise is as low as –93 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset below the 450 GHz carrier. This fits the requirements for most practical applications.

The first implementation of a Superconducting Integrated Receiver (SIR) with phased locked FFO has been tested with a resolution better than 10 kHz. The phased locked SIR has been tested successfully as a laboratory spectrometer. This study provides an important input for future development of a balloon-based 500-650 GHz integrated receiver for the Terahertz Limb Sounder (TELIS) scheduled to fly in 2005-2006.

Receiver DSB noise temperature below 300 K has been achieved in the frequency range 850-970 GHz. Phase locking of a FFO with NbN electrodes has been demonstrated. Possible implementations of a SIR for operation at frequencies above 1 THz have been proposed.


SRON-IREE and RAL ReceiversSRON-IREE and RAL Receivers


Concepts of a SIR with PL FFOConcepts of a SIR with PL FFO


Ratio of PL and total FFO powerRatio of PL and total FFO power

1 10 1000,0

0,1

0,2

0,3

0,4

0,5

0,6

0,7

0,8

0,9

1,0

Sp

ectr

al R

atio

Free running 3 dB FFO linewidth (MHz)

PLL BW=5 MHz PLL BW=15 MHz PLL BW=50 MHz PLL BW=6 MHz - var PLL 3b - 11 Dec 02 PLL 3b - 24 Dec 02 PLL 3b - Short Cables PLL 6a - 01 Feb 03 FFO LW (MHz)

Eff. PLL BW (MHz)


Optimization of the HM operationOptimization of the HM operation


Optimization of the HM operation:Optimization of the HM operation:dependence on HM voltagedependence on HM voltage


Optimization of the HM operation:Optimization of the HM operation:dependence on synthesizer power dependence on synthesizer power


Optimization of the HM operation:Optimization of the HM operation:dependence on PLL Gaindependence on PLL Gain

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