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Some recent developments in the design of SIS mixers

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Abstract

SIS mixers in which superconducting tuning elements are integrated with the tunnel junctions have resulted in very low noise heterodyne receivers in the range 68–260 GHz. Above ∼120 GHz the need for extremely small reduced-height waveguides is avoided by mounting the SIS junctions in a suspended-stripline circuit coupled to a full-height waveguide by a broadband probe. The special characteristics of coplanar transmission line permit the design of SIS mixers with low parasitic reactances. Such a mixer operates over the full WR-10 band (75–110 GHz) without mechanical tuners.

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The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is operated by Associated Universities, Inc., under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

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Kerr, A.R., Pan, S.K. Some recent developments in the design of SIS mixers. Int J Infrared Milli Waves 11, 1169–1187 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01014738

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