Low-Noise Sis Receivers for New Radio-Astronomy Projects

Abstract

We have developed, manufactured, and tested a waveguide mixer in the range 211–275 GHz on the basis of the superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) tunnel structures. The methods of manufacturing high-quality tunnel structures on quartz substrates have been worked out. To extend the receiver band, the Nb/AlO_x/Nb and Nb/AlN/NbN tunnel junctions with a high current density of up to 20 kA/cm² are employed. The dependence of the characteristics of the receiving elements on the signal frequency is simulated for the intermediate-frequency band 4–12 GHz. The measurements demonstrate a good agreement of the input band of the receiving structures with the calculated results. The uncorrected noise temperature of the receiver amounts to 24 K at a frequency of 265 GHz, which is only two times higher than the quantum limit. The receivers under development are intended for a number of newly-built ground-based radio telescopes (“Suffa” and LLAMA), as well as for the “Millimetron” space program.