Integrated Millimeter/Submillimeter Wave Receivers

Integrated superconducting receivers look very attractive for applications where low weight, power consumption and volume are required. HYPRES proposes to design such a receiver that realizes this improved performance. HYPRES will exploit its ability toproduce high quality superconducting (Nb) integrated receivers. This goal will be met by incorporating on one chip such planar components as a SIS mixer detector with quasioptical antenna, a local oscillator, an intermediate frequency (IF) amplifier andthe circuits for digitizing of down converted signals and their real time processing. The Phase I work plan calls for calibration of long Josephson junctions operating in flux-flow mode as a local oscillator. These oscillators satisfy the followingimportant requirements: they deliver enough power to pump a mixer and have high frequency tunability. A SIS mixer will be designed together with the impedance matching circuit for better power delivery and, in Phase II, IF amplifier with the circuits fordigitizing of down converted signals will be added.HYPRES will become a commercial source of cost-effective, reliable integrated sub-mm receivers. These receivers are ideally suited to space based use because of their small size and extremely highefficiency, and are expected to find important application in satellite communications, advanced communications for military use and sophisticated civilian test equipment. This project will produce an integrated receiver with an enhanced performance/costratio.