Superconducting subterahertz fast nanoswitch
JETP Letters 86:4 (2007) 275-277
Abstract:
A superconducting thin-film nanoswitch for the subterahertz frequency range has been proposed, developed, fabricated, and tested. The switch makes it possible to modulate the microwave signal or switch it between two branches of a circuit with low losses and high speed. The switch can be naturally integrated with superconducting high-sensitive detectors. Its application makes it possible to avoid the use of massive slow mechanical modulators and to improve the measurement accuracy in decisive astrophysical experiments such as the investigation of the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background. © 2007 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.Compact broadband planar orthomode transducer
ArXiv 0709.1777 (2007)
Abstract:
We present the design and test results of a compact C-band orthomode transducer which comprises four rectangular probes orthogonally arranged in a circular waveguide, designed to work in the WG13 band. Measurements of the system in the frequency range 4.64 GHz to 7.05 GHz agree very well with simulation results and show a cross-polarisation level below -58 dB, a return loss of about -20 dB, and an insertion loss difference of less than 0.18 dB between the orthogonal polarisation modes across the full waveguide band.Tests of finline-coupled TES bolometers for ClOVER
(2007) 175-176
Abstract:
CLOVER aims to detect the signature of gravitational waves from inflation by measuring the B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background. CLOVER consists of two polarimeters. One operates at 97 GHz, using fintine-coupled Transition Edge Sensors (TES). The other has a combined 150/220-GHz focal plane populated by radial-probe coupled TES detectors. The 97-GHz instrument will have 100 feedhorns and 200 detectors while the combined 150 and 220-GHz instrument will have a total of 200 horns. To achieve the target NEP of 1.5 x 10(-17) W Hz(-1) the 97-GHz detectors will have a transition temperature of 190 mK and will operate with a base temperature of similar to 100 mK. CLOVER's detectors are fabricated on 225-micron silicon substrates. In the 97-GHz instrument a finline transition feeds a microstrip which is terminated by a matched resistor on the silicon nitride island that carries the TES. Each detector is fabricated as a single chip to ensure a 100% operational focal plane. The detectors are mounted in linear modules made of copper which form split-block waveguides. Each detector module contains a time-division SQUID multiplexer to read out the detectors. The multiplexed signals are further amplified by SQUID series arrays. The first prototype detectors for CLOVER have a transition temperature of 350 mK and were fabricated to validate the detector design and the polarimeter technology. We have characterised these detectors in a dedicated test facility. The CLOVER testhed contains cryogenics similar to those in the final instrument: a pulse-tube cooler, He-7 sorption fridge, and a mini dilution fridge so that the detectors are tested in a realistic environment. The test bed has a cryogenic blackbody source with band-defining filters for optical testing. As well as the multi-channel electronics that will be used on the final instrument the test bed has an analogue SQUID readout which allows us to characterise the readout fully. We discuss the results of the detector tests and the design changes needed to achieve the required sensitivity.Theoretical and numerical analysis of very high harmonic superconducting tunnel junction mixers
Journal of Applied Physics 101 (2007) 024508 7pp
Prototype finline-coupled TES bolometers for CLOVER
ArXiv astro-ph/0608285 (2006)