A low-noise SIS receiver measured from 480 GHz to 650 GHz using Nb junctions with integrated RF tuning circuits

A heterodyne receiver using an SIS waveguide mixer with two mechanical tuners has been characterized from 480 GHz to 650 GHz. The mixer uses either a single 0.5 × 0.5 µm² Nb/AlO_x/Nb SIS tunnel junction or a series array of two 1 µm² Nb tunnel junctions. These junctions have a high current density, in the range 8 – 13 kA/cm². Superconductive RF circuits are employed to tune the junction capacitance. DSB receiver noise temperatures as low as 200 ± 17 K at 540 GHz, 271 K ± 22 K at 572 GHz and 362 ± 33 K at 626 GHz have been obtained with the single SIS junctions. The series arrays gave DSB receiver noise temperatures as low as 328 ± 26 K at 490 GHz and 336 ± 25 K at 545 GHz. A comparison of the performances of series arrays and single junctions is presented. In addition, negative differential resistance has been observed in the DC I–V curve near 490, 545 and 570 GHz. Correlations between the frequencies for minimum noise temperature, negative differential resistance, and tuning circuit resonances are found. A detailed model to calculate the properties of the tuning circuits is discussed, and the junction capacitance as well as the London penetration depth of niobium are determined by fitting the model to the measured circuit resonances.     

100 GHz mixer vertically integrated (stacked) SIS junction array

A Vertically Integrated Array (stacked array) of single windowSIS junctions (VIA SIS), based on a stacked five layer structure of Nb-AlO_x-Nb-AlO_x-Nb, has been fabricated and tested in a quasi optical mixer configuration at 106 GHz. This particular VIA SIS design has two stacked junctions fabricated by standard tri-layer process employing photolithography, reactive ion and wet etching processes. A simple expression for calculating the specific capacitance of single and arrayed SIS junctions is suggested. Due to the absence of interconnection leads between the individual junctions and reduced overall capacitance, compared to a single SIS junction, has the VIA SIS good future prospects for use in submillimeter wave SIS mixers The VIA SIS may be regarded as a lumped rather than a distributed structure at least up to the gap frequency at 730 GHz for Nb. DC-IV measurements show high quality of the Individual SIS junctions and good reproducibility of the array parameters over the substrate area. The first VIA SIS mixer experiments yielded a receiver noise temperature of 95 K (DSB) at a LO frequency of 106 GHz.     

高温超导GdBa2Cu3O7-δ薄膜双晶晶界结特性研究

在晶界夹角为24°的YSZ人工双晶基片上,采用原位直流磁控溅射法制备了高温超导双晶GdBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ超导薄膜。采用光刻技术在晶界上刻出了尺寸5×5μm²的双晶晶界结。在77K下观测了结的直流I-V特性和在10GHz微波辐射下结的Shapiro台阶。这表明我们的人工双晶晶界结具有约瑟夫森弱连接行为。对结的特性进行了初步的理论分析和在实验基础上的数值模拟,模拟结果与RSJ理论符合较好,表明我们的双晶晶界结基本符合RSJ模型。     

Josephson (001) tilt grain boundary junctions of high-temperature superconductors

We calculate the Josephson critical current I_c across in-plane (001) tilt grain boundary junctions of high-temperature superconductors. We solve for the electronic states corresponding to the electron-doped cuprates, two slightly different hole-doped cuprates, and an extremely underdoped hole-doped cuprate in each half-space, and weakly connect the two half-spaces by either specular or random Josephson tunnelling. We treat symmetric, straight, and fully asymmetric junctions with s-, extended-s, or d _{x ²?y ²} -wave order parameters. For symmetric junctions with random grain boundary tunnelling, our results are generally in agreement with the Sigrist–Rice form for ideal junctions that has been used to interpret ‘phase-sensitive’ experiments consisting of such in-plane grain boundary junctions. For specular grain boundary tunnelling across symmetric junctions, our results depend upon the Fermi surface topology, but are usually rather consistent with the random facet model of Tsuei et al. Our results for asymmetric junctions of electron-doped cuprates are in agreement with the Sigrist–Rice form. However, our results for asymmetric junctions of hole-doped cuprates show that the details of the Fermi surface topology and of the tunnelling processes are both very important, so that the ‘phase-sensitive’ experiments based upon in-plane Josephson junctions are less definitive than has generally been thought.     

230 and 492 GHz low noise sis waveguide receivers employing tuned Nb/AlOx/Nb tunnel junctions

We report results on two full height waveguide receivers that cover the 200–290 GHz and 380–510 GHz atmospheric windows. The receivers are part of the facility instrumentation at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. We have measured receiver noise temperatures in the range of 20K–35K DSB in the 200–290 GHz band, and 65–90K DSB in the 390–510 GHz atmospheric band. In both instances low mixer noise temperatures and very high quantum efficiency have been achieved. Conversion gain (3 dB) is possible with the 230 GHz receiver, however lowest noise and most stable operation is achieved with unity conversion gain.A 40% operating bandwidth is achieved by using a RF compensated junction mounted in a two-tuner full height waveguide mixer block. The tuned Nb/AlO _x /Nb tunnel junctions incorporate an end-loaded tuning stub with two quarter-wave transformer sections to tune out the large junction capacitance. Both 230 and 492 GHz SIS junctions are 0.49µm² in size and have current densities of 8 and 10 kA/cm² respectively.Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) measurements of the 230 and 492 GHz tuned junctions show good agreement with the measured heterodyne waveguide response.     

主动锁模掺铒光纤环形激光器有理数谐波调制技术

成功地利用有理数谐波锁模技术在主动谐波锁模掺铒光纤环形激光器中获取数倍于调制频率f_m的高重复率脉冲序列,所得最高锁模脉冲重复频率f_p＝4f_m≈6GHz．根据实验结果,本文指出有理数谐波锁模输出高阶光脉冲的物理机制、导致高阶输出脉冲脉宽展宽和幅度不稳定的原因以及消除幅度不稳定的具体办法．     

Josephson coupling and Fiske dynamics in ferromagnetic tunnel junctions

We report on the fabrication of Nb/AlO _x /Pd_0.82Ni_0.18/Nb superconductor/insulator/ferromagnetic metal/superconductor (SIFS) Josephson junctions with high critical current densities, large normal resistance times area products, high quality factors, and very good spatial uniformity. For these junctions a transition from 0- to π-coupling is observed for a thickness d _F @\simeq 6 nm of the ferromagnetic Pd_0.82Ni_0.18 interlayer. The magnetic field dependence of the π-coupled junctions demonstrates good spatial homogeneity of the tunneling barrier and ferromagnetic interlayer. Magnetic characterization shows that the Pd_0.82Ni_0.18 has an out-of-plane anisotropy and large saturation magnetization, indicating negligible dead layers at the interfaces. A careful analysis of Fiske modes provides information on the junction quality factor and the relevant damping mechanisms up to about 400 GHz. Whereas losses due to quasiparticle tunneling dominate at low frequencies, the damping is dominated by the finite surface resistance of the junction electrodes at high frequencies. High quality factors of up to 30 around 200 GHz have been achieved. Our analysis shows that the fabricated junctions are promising for applications in superconducting quantum circuits or quantum tunneling experiments.     

Pressure shift and broadening of 110-101 water vapor lines by atmosphere gases

This paper is devoted to the measurement of pressure shift and broadening parameters of water-vapor lines of the pure rotational transition 1₁₀-1₀₁ in the ground vibrational state of H₂¹⁶O at 556.936 GHz, H₂¹⁷O at 552.02 GHz, H₂¹⁸O at 547.676 GHz, and the vibrationally excited state v₂=1 line of H₂¹⁶O at 658.003 GHz. The broadening coefficients of the line at 556.936 GHz (for N₂ and O₂ as perturbing gases) coincide within the errors with the values obtained recently by Seta et al. [Pressure broadening coefficients of the water vapor lines at 556.936 and 752.033 GHz. JQSRT 2008;109:144-50] by means of a very different technique (THz-TDS). Pressure shift and broadening for other lines were measured for the first time. Comparison of our results with previous measurements and theoretical calculations is presented.     

Design Consideration for a Two-Distributed-Junction Tuning Circuit

We describe a novel method of designing a tuning circuit with two half-wave distributed junctions separated by a half-wavelength microstripline, which analytically determines the circuit parameters such as the minimum current density of the junctions and the characteristic impedances of the distributed junctions and the microstripline. The tuning circuit was approximated by simple transmission theory and then simplified with ideal circuit components for analysis. We applied Chebyshevs band-pass filter theory, in part, to optimize the circuit design. The analytical results revealed that a high characteristic-impedance ratio between the distributed junctions and the microstripline is necessary to obtain broadband matching using low-current-density junctions. The experimental results for all-NbN SIS mixers we designed with this method demonstrated double-sideband (DSB) receiver-noise temperatures of 6–10 quanta from 710 to 810 GHz for a mixer with a current density of only 4 kA/cm² (estimated C_JR_N product of 37 at 750 GHz). The RF bandwidth was broader than that of a conventional full-wave distributed SIS mixer with the same current density.     

A 650-GHz Band SIS Receiver for Balloon-Borne Limb-Emission Sounder

A superconducting low-noise receiver has been developed for atmospheric observations in the 650-GHz band. A waveguide-type tunerless mixer mount was designed based on one for the 200-GHz band. Two niobium SIS (superconductor-insulator-superconductor) junctions were connected by a tuning inductance to cancel the junction capacitance. We designed the R_nC_j product to be 8 and the current density to be 5.5 kA/cm². The measured receiver noise temperature in DSB was 126-259 K in the frequency range of 618-660 GHz at an IF of 5.2 GHz, and that in the IF band (5-7 GHz) was 126-167 K at 621 GHz. Direct detection measurements using a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) showed the frequency response of the SIS mixer to be in the range of about 500-700 GHz. The fractional bandwidth was about 14%. The SIS receiver will be installed in a balloon-borne limb-emission sounder that will be launched from Sanriku Balloon Center in Japan.     

High-field EPR, ENDOR and ELDOR on bacterial photosynthetic reaction centers

We report on recent 95 and 360 GHz high-field electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) and pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR) studies of wild-type and mutant reaction centers (RCs) from the photosynthetic bacteriumRhodobacter sphaeroides. Taking advantage of the excellent spectral and temporal resolution of EPR at 95 and 360 GHz, the electron-transfer (ET) cofactors radical ions and spin-correlated radical pairs were characterized by theirg- and hyperfine-tensor components, their anisotropicT ₂ relaxation as well as by the dipolar interaction between P ₈₆₅ ^?+ Q _A ^?? radical pairs. The goal of these studies is to better understand the dominant factors determining the specificity and directionality of transmembrane ET processes in photosynthetic RC proteins. In particular, our multifrequency experiments elucidate the subtle cofactor-protein interactions, which are essential for fine-tuning the ET characteristics, e.g., the unidirectionality of the light-induced ET pathways along the A branch of the RC protein. By our high-field techniques, frozen-solution RCs of novel site-specific single and double mutants ofR. sphaeroides were studied to modulate the ET characteristics, e.g., even to the extent that dominant B branch ET prevails. The presented multifrequency EPR work culminates in first 360 GHz ENDOR results from organic nitroxide radicals as well as in first 95 GHz high-field PELDOR results from orientationally selected spin-polarized radical pairs P ₈₆₅ ^?+ Q _A ^?? , which allow to determine the full geometrical structure of the pairs even in frozen-solution RCs.     

Microwave irradiation on a-axis oriented Y123/Pr123 two-stacked Josephson junctions device

Two-stacked submicron Josephson junctions devices were fabricated in a-axis oriented YBaCu₃O₇ and PrBa₂Cu₃O₇ (Y123/Pr123) multi layered thin films using focused ion beam milling technique. The transition temperature and critical current density (J_c) of the device are about 83 K and 5 × 10⁵ A/cm² at 20 K, respectively. The device was irradiated with external microwave of 10 GHz and studied at 20 K. The microwave induced voltage steps are observed in I–V characteristics. The supercurrent branch become resistive above a certain microwave power and also the J_c was suppressed as we increased the microwave power. Magnetic field modulation of critical current shows periodicity of about 2000 gauss correspond to the Josephson junctions in the stack.     

Open structure log-periodic SIS receivers at 180 and 305 GHz

Two open structure heterodyne receivers have been designed and tested at 180 and 305 GHz. The RF signal is coupled via a seven teeth log-periodic planar antenna to the mixer. The beam efficiency of the antenna is 65 %. The coupling efficiency to the fundamental gaussian mode is higher than 90%. The mixer incorporates a series array of two SIS Nb-Al/AlO_x-Nb junctions. Photolithographical techniques have been employed to fabricate the antennas and the junctions. Double side band noise receiver temperatures of 95 K at 190 GHz and 160 K at 305 GHz have been measured.     

Single-crystal EPR studies of transition-metal ions in inorganic crystals at very high frequency

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) single-crystal rotation studies at very high frequency (249.9 GHz) of transition metal ions with electron spins greater than one-half are reported. At 249.9 GHz, the spectra are in the high-field limit despite large zero-field splittings. This leads to a considerable simplification of the spectra, and aids in their interpretation. Single-crystal 249.9 GHz EPR spectra of Ni²⁺ in Ni₂CdCl₆· 12H₂O, Mn²⁺ (0.2%) in ZnV₂O₇, and Fe³⁺ (2%) in CaYA10₄ were recorded at 253 K in an external magnetic field of up to 9.2 T, along with those at X-band and Q-band frequencies at 295 K and lower temperatures. The goniometer used at 249.9 GHz for single-crystal rotation is based on a quasi-optical design and is an integral part of a special Fabry-Pérot resonator. The values of the spin-Hamiltonian parameters were estimated from a simultaneous fitting of all of the observed line positions at several microwave frequencies recorded at various orientations of each crystal with respect to the external magnetic field with least-squares fitting in conjunction with matrix diagonalization. Estimates of zero-field splitting parameterD at room temperature are: for Ni²⁺, about ?31 GHz (site I) and about ?7 GHz (site II); for Mn²⁺, about 6 GHz; and for Fe³⁺, about 29 GHz.     

Characteristics of an optically pumped COF2 laser

An optically pumped COF₂ laser^1,2 has been used for experiments with NbN Josephson junctions at NPL³. Its characteristics are described in this paper, with particular reference to results of output power stability and output power level⁴.     

Investigation of superconductivity effects in single-phase and multiphase Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 single-crystals at 2-MM wavelengths

Experimental investigations of superconductivity effects in single-phase and multiphase Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈ single-crystals have been carried out at 142 GHz frequency by means of the standing wave profile method [1]. Josephson harmonic generation has been observed to be responsible for the appearence of additional peaks on the standing wave profile of the open dielectric resonator loaded with a properly orientated multiphase high-T_c superconductor specimen. This leads to the conclusion that most of the Josephson junctions in multiphase crystals are located in certain crystallographic planes. The investigations of temperature dependencies showed that sharp resonant peaks of conductivity observed earlier [2] at 60 GHz could also be observed at 142 GHz.     

The millimeter-wave dielectric properties of Al2O3 after irradiation to moderate neutron fluence

Abstract

Mono- and polycrystalline Al₂O₃ has been irradiated to 3.5· 10¹⁹ f.n/cm², and the increase in dielectric loss has been measured at 28–38 GHz and 144–146 GHz. Step annealing experiments have been performed between 150 °C and 1100 °C. The recovery of dielectric loss has been analyzed aiming at identifying the defect types affecting dielectric loss. A pronounced recovery step observed at 450–550 °C is explained by F-centres with strong electron-lattice coupling which contribute predominantly to dielectric loss at room temperature.     

Effect of an applied magnetic field on the performance of a sis receiver near 300 GHz

We have successfully constructed and tested a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) receiver for operation at 265–280 GHz using 1 m² area Nb–AlO _x –Nb tunnel junctions fabricated at Stony Brook. The best performance to date is a double sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature of 129 K at 278 GHz. We find that suppression of the Josephson pair currents with a magnetic field is essential for good performance and a stable DC bias point. Fields as high as 280 gauss have been used with no degradation of mixing performance. We illustrate the improvement in the intermediate frequency (IF) output stability with progressively increasing magnetic fields.