Conference item
Investigating the origin of harmonics in a 230 GHz local oscillator
- Abstract:
- The presence of spurious frequency tones emanating from a harmonically generated local oscillator (LO) signal can significantly degrade the performance of a SuperconductorInsulator-Superconductor (SIS) tunnel junction mixer [1]. The existence of harmonics is often revealed by distorted I-V curves obtained when pumping the SIS device with the LO. We have investigated this effect by using a commercially available source and correlating the photon step induced I-V curve structure with a direct frequency measurement made via a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) and a spectrum analyser. Our results suggest that intermixing frequency products are generated within the first, low frequency, stage of the LO chain, and these unwanted signals are converted to high frequency tones through subsequent stages of LO amplification and frequency up-conversion. The experimental work has been performed by using measurement facilities available at the University of Oxford and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), UK.
- Publication status:
- Accepted
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
Actions
Authors
- Publisher:
- IEEE
- Host title:
- Proceedings of the International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology
- Publication date:
- 2015-01-01
- Pubs id:
-
pubs:574812
- UUID:
-
uuid:35634b64-d051-459c-b189-72f605114939
- Local pid:
-
pubs:574812
- Source identifiers:
-
574812
- Deposit date:
-
2015-11-24
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- IEEE
- Copyright date:
- 2015
- Notes:
- Copyright © 2015 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.
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