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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS2004

Design of a Wideband 900 GHz Balanced Frequency Tripler for Radioastronomy

We report on the design of a fix-tuned split-block waveguide balanced frequency tripler working nominally at 900GHz. It uses a GaAs Schottky planar diode pair in a balanced configuration. The circuit will be fabricated with JPL membrane technology in order to minimize dielectric loading. The multiplier is bias-less to dramatically ease the mounting and the operating procedure. At room temperature, the expected output power is 50- 130 (micro)W in the band 800-970 GHz when the tripler is pumped with 4mW. By modifying the waveguide input and output matching circuit, the multiplier can be tuned to operate at lower frequencies.

Schottky diode multipliers↗
NASA NTRS2010

Quad-Chip Double-Balanced Frequency Tripler

Solid-state frequency multipliers are used to produce tunable broadband sources at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. The maximum power produced by a single chip is limited by the electrical breakdown of the semiconductor and by the thermal management properties of the chip. The solution is to split the drive power to a frequency tripler using waveguides to divide the power among four chips, then recombine the output power from the four chips back into a single waveguide. To achieve this, a waveguide branchline quadrature hybrid coupler splits a 100-GHz input signal into two paths with a 90 relative phase shift. These two paths are split again by a pair of waveguide Y-junctions. The signals from the four outputs of the Y-junctions are tripled in frequency using balanced Schottky diode frequency triplers before being recombined with another pair of Y-junctions. A final waveguide branchline quadrature hybrid coupler completes the combination. Using four chips instead of one enables using four-times higher power input, and produces a nearly four-fold power output as compared to using a single chip. The phase shifts introduced by the quadrature hybrid couplers provide isolation for the input and output waveguides, effectively eliminating standing waves between it and surrounding components. This is accomplished without introducing the high losses and expense of ferrite isolators. A practical use of this technology is to drive local oscillators as was demonstrated around 300 GHz for a heterodyne spectrometer operating in the 2-3-THz band. Heterodyne spectroscopy in this frequency band is especially valuable for astrophysics due to the presence of a very large number of molecular spectral lines. Besides high-resolution radar and spectrographic screening applications, this technology could also be useful for laboratory spectroscopy.

Lin, Robert H.↗
NASA NTRS2009

In-Phase Power-Combined Frequency Tripler at 300 GHz

This design starts with commercial 85- to 115-GHz sources that are amplified to as much as 250 mW using power amplifiers developed for the Herschel Space Observatory. The frequency is then tripled using a novel waveguide GaAs Schottky diode frequency tripler. This planar diode produces 26 mW at 318 GHz. Peak conversion efficiency is over 15 percent, and the measured bandwidth of about 265 - 30 GHz is limited more by the driving source than by the tripler itself. This innovation is based on an integrated circuit designed originally for a single-chip 260- to 340-GHz balanced tripler. The power-combined version has two mirror-image tripler chips that are power-combined in-phase in a single waveguide block using a compact Y-junction divider at the input waveguide, and a Y-junction combiner at the output waveguide. The tripler uses a split-block waveguide design with two independent DC bias lines.

Maestrini, Alain↗
NASA NTRS2004

Design of a Wideband 6-Anode Frequency Tripler at 300 GHz with Optimum Balance

We report on the design methodology of a fix-tuned split-block waveguide balanced frequency tripler working nominally at 300 GHz. It features six GaAs Schottky planar diodes in a balanced configuration. The circuit will be fabricated with JPL membrane technology in order to minimize dielectric loading and insure an accurate and uniform thickness of the substrate. The multiplier power handling is limited by the breakdown voltage of the diodes that depends on the doping level of the active layer. With six diodes, the current choice for the doping level leads to medium power handling capabilities of about 50 mW. Increasing the number of diodes to eight would be an option but would lead to increased difficulties in design and fabrication.

Schottky diode multipliers↗
NASA NTRS2005

A 540-640-GHz High-efficiency Four-anode Frequency Tripler

We report on the design and performance of a broad-band, high-power 540-640-GHz fix-tuned balanced frequency tripler chip that utilizes four planar Schottky anodes. The suspended strip-line circuit is fabricated with a 12-micron-thick support frame and is mounted in a split waveguide block. The chip is supported by thick beam leads that are also used to provide precise RF grounding. At room temperature, the tripler delivers 0.9-1.8 mW across the band with an estimated efficiency of 4.5%-9%. When cooled to 120 K, the tripler provides 2.0-4.2 mW across the band with an estimated efficiency of 8%-12%.

balanced triplers↗
NASA NTRS2005

Multi-Anode Frequency Triplers at Sub-Millimeter Wavelengths

We report on the design methodology of fix-tuned split-block waveguide balanced frequency triplers working at 300,600 and 900 GHz. They feature four to six GaAs Schottky planar diodes in a balanced configuration. A 6-anode 300 GHz tripler, a 6-anode 560 GHz tripler and a 4-anode 900 GHz tripler will be fabricated with JPL membrane technology in order to minimize dielectric loading and ensure accurate thickness of the substrate. A 4-anode 600 GHz tripler was fabricated with JPL substrateless technology that delivers 0.8-1.6mW in the 540-640 GHz band at room temperature. When cooled to l2OK this tripler delivers 2-4mW from 540 to 640 GHz.

Schottky diodes↗
NASA NTRS2006

A 260-340 GHz Dual Chip Frequency Tripler for THz Frequency Multiplier Chains

We designed and fabricated a fix-tuned balanced frequency tripler working in the 260-340 GHz band to be the first stage of a x3x3x3 multiplier chain to 2.7 THz. The design of a dual-chip version of this multiplier featuring an input splitter / output combiner as part of the input / output matching networks of both chips - with no degradation of the expected bandwidth and efficiency- will be presented.

Schottky diodes↗
NASA NTRS2006

A High Efficiency Multiple-Anode 260-340 GHz Frequency Tripler

We report on the fabrication at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of a fixed-tuned split-block waveguide balanced frequency tripler working in the 260-340 GHz band. This tripler will be the first stage of a x3x3x3 multiplier chain to 2.7 THz (the last stages of which are being fabricated at JPL) and is therefore optimized for high power operation. The multiplier features six GaAs Schottky planar diodes in a balanced configuration integrated on a GaAs membrane. Special attention was put on splitting the input power as evenly as possible among the diodes in order to ensure that no diode is overdriven. Preliminary RF tests indicate that the multiplier covers the expected bandwidth and that the efficiency is in the range 1.5-7.5 % with 100 mW of input power.

local oscillators↗
NASA NTRS2010

NASA Tech Briefs, February 2010

Topics covered include: Insulation-Testing Cryostat With Lifting Mechanism; Optical Testing of Retroreflectors for Cryogenic Applications; Measuring Cyclic Error in Laser Heterodyne Interferometers; Self-Referencing Hartmann Test for Large-Aperture Telescopes; Measuring a Fiber-Optic Delay Line Using a Mode-Locked Laser; Reconfigurable Hardware for Compressing Hyperspectral Image Data; Spatio-Temporal Equalizer for a Receiving-Antenna Feed Array; High-Speed Ring Bus; Nanoionics-Based Switches for Radio-Frequency Applications; Lunar Dust-Tolerant Electrical Connector; Compact, Reliable EEPROM Controller; Quad-Chip Double-Balanced Frequency Tripler; Ka-Band Waveguide Two-Way Hybrid Combiner for MMIC Amplifiers; Radiation-Hardened Solid-State Drive; Use of Nanofibers to Strengthen Hydrogels of Silica, Other Oxides, and Aerogels; Two Concepts for Deployable Trusses; Concentric Nested Toroidal Inflatable Structures; Investigating Dynamics of Eccentricity in Turbomachines; Improved Low-Temperature Performance of Li-Ion Cells Using New Electrolytes; Integrity Monitoring of Mercury Discharge Lamps; White-Light Phase-Conjugate Mirrors as Distortion Correctors; Biasable, Balanced, Fundamental Submillimeter Monolithic Membrane Mixer; ICER-3D Hyperspectral Image Compression Software; and Context Modeler for Wavelet Compression of Spectral Hyperspectral Images.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

Submillimeter sources for radiometry using high power Indium Phosphide Gunn diode oscillators

A study aimed at developing high frequency millimeter wave and submillimeter wave local oscillator sources in the 60-600 GHz range was conducted. Sources involved both fundamental and harmonic-extraction type Indium Phosphide Gunn diode oscillators as well as varactor multipliers. In particular, a high power balanced-doubler using varactor diodes was developed for 166 GHz. It is capable of handling 100 mW input power, and typically produced 25 mW output power. A high frequency tripler operating at 500 GHz output frequency was also developed and cascaded with the balanced-doubler. A dual-diode InP Gunn diode combiner was used to pump this cascaded multiplier to produce on the order of 0.5 mW at 500 GHz. In addition, considerable development and characterization work on InP Gunn diode oscillators was carried out. Design data and operating characteristics were documented for a very wide range of oscillators. The reliability of InP devices was examined, and packaging techniques to enhance the performance were analyzed. A theoretical study of a new class of high power multipliers was conducted for future applications. The sources developed here find many commercial applications for radio astronomy and remote sensing.

Deo, Naresh C.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Simulation of 100-300 GHz solid-state harmonic sources

Accurate and efficient simulations of the large-signal time-dependent characteristics of second-harmonic Transferred Electron Oscillators (TEO's) and Heterostructure Barrier Varactor (HBV) frequency triplers have been obtained. This is accomplished by using a novel and efficient harmonic-balance circuit analysis technique which facilitates the integration of physics-based hydrodynamic device simulators. The integrated hydrodynamic device/harmonic-balance circuit simulators allow TEO and HBV circuits to be co-designed from both a device and a circuit point of view. Comparisons have been made with published experimental data for both TEO's and HBV's. For TEO's, excellent correlation has been obtained at 140 GHz and 188 GHz in second-harmonic operation. Excellent correlation has also been obtained for HBV frequency triplers operating near 200 GHz. For HBV's, both a lumped quasi-static equivalent circuit model and the hydrodynamic device simulator have been linked to the harmonic-balance circuit simulator. This comparison illustrates the importance of representing active devices with physics-based numerical device models rather than analytical device models.

NONLINEAR CIRCUITS↗
NASA NTRS2010

Diamond Heat-Spreader for Submillimeter-Wave Frequency Multipliers

The planar GaAs Shottky diode frequency multiplier is a critical technology for the local oscillator (LO) for submillimeter- wave heterodyne receivers due to low mass, tenability, long lifetime, and room-temperature operation. The use of a W-band (75-100 GHz) power amplifier followed by a frequency multiplier is the most common for submillimeter-wave sources. Its greatest challenge is to provide enough input power to the LO for instruments onboard future planetary missions. Recently, JPL produced 800 mW at 92.5 GHz by combining four MMICs in parallel in a balanced configuration. As more power at W-band is available to the multipliers, their power-handling capability be comes more important. High operating temperatures can lead to degradation of conversion efficiency or catastrophic failure. The goal of this innovation is to reduce the thermal resistance by attaching diamond film as a heat-spreader on the backside of multipliers to improve their power-handling capability. Polycrystalline diamond is deposited by hot-filament chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This diamond film acts as a heat-spreader to both the existing 250- and 300-GHz triplers, and has a high thermal conductivity (1,000-1,200 W/mK). It is approximately 2.5 times greater than copper (401 W/mK) and 20 times greater than GaAs (46 W/mK). It is an electrical insulator (resistivity approx. equals 10(exp 15) Ohms-cm), and has a low relative dielectric constant of 5.7. Diamond heat-spreaders reduce by at least 200 C at 250 mW of input power, compared to the tripler without diamond, according to thermal simulation. This superior thermal management provides a 100-percent increase in power-handling capability. For example, with this innovation, 40-mW output power has been achieved from a 250-GHz tripler at 350-mW input power, while the previous triplers, without diamond, suffered catastrophic failures. This breakthrough provides a stepping-stone for frequency multipliers-based LO up to 3 THz. The future work for this design is to apply the high output power from both the 250 and 300 GHz to multiple chains in order to generate milliwatts at 2.3 THz. Using the first generation of results for this innovation, 40 mW of output power were produced from a 240-GHz tripler at 350-mW input power, and 27- mW output power was produced from a 300-GHz tripler at 408-mW input power. This is two times higher than the current state-of-the-art output power capability. A finite-element thermal simulation also shows that 30-microns thick diamond dropped the temperature of the anodes by at least 200 C.

Lin, Robert H.↗