Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Erickson, N..
We have developed a 1.5 THz superconducting NbN Hot-Electron Bolometer mixer. It is oprated by an all-solid-state Local Oscillator comprising of a cascade of 4 planar doublers following an MMIC based W-band power amplifier.
This paper will describe a robust test-bed that has been built to measure multiplier performance over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies. In a 182-212 GRz designed balanced doubler the peak efficiency at 201 GHz improves from 22% to 28% upon cooling from 300 K to 120 K. This stage is then used to pump a 362-424 GRz balanced planar doubler. The peak chain efficiency increases from 3.4% to 6% when the two cascaded doublers are cooled from 300 K to 120 K. This enables the production of 10 mW of peak output power at 377 GHz, which ought to be sufficient for driving the next stage multiplier.
Monolithic (MMIC) and discrete transistor (MIC) low noise amplifiers are compared on the basis of performance, cost, and reliability. The need for cryogenic LNA's for future large microwave arrays for radio astronomy is briefly discussed and data is presented on a prototype LNA for the 1 to 10 GZH range along with a very wideband LNA for the 1 to 60 GHz range.
This paper describe a millimeter wave low noise amplifier with extraordinary low noise, low consumption, and wide frequency range. These results are achieved utilizing state-of-the-art InP HEMT transistors coupled with CPW circuit design. The paper describes the transistor models, modeled and measured on-wafer and in-module results at both 300K am 24K operating temperatures for many samples of the device.
This paper describes a millimeter wave low noise amplifier with extraordinary low noise, low power consumption, and wide frequency range.
This paper reports on the first all solid-state two-diode subharmonically pumped (SHP) mixer operating at 640 GHz.
Planar submillimeter circuits are slowly replacing whisker-contacted devices at frequencies above 100 GHz, but in many cases the size constraints brought on by the short wavelengths associated with high frequency operation have not been adequeately addressed. Also, reproducibility becomes more important as we make the transition from tunable, whisker-based circuits to more monolithic designs. We are continuing to develop new circuites with more reproducible characteristics.
We report on a subharmonic mixer with a broad IF bandwidth that has been developed for the Microwave Instrument for the Rosetta Orbiter (MIRO) to study water transition lines occurring near 557 GHz.
Planar submillimeter wave circuits are slowly replacing whisker-contacted devices at frequencies above 100 GHz, but in many cases the size constraints dictated by the short wavelengths found at high frequencies have not been adequately addressed.