Objetivo The main project objective is to develop an integrated superconducting quantum-limited high-resolution spectrometer for submm wave frequencies (up to 700 GHz). An important application of this receiver will be as an instrument for a FIR and Sub-mm Heterodyne balloon mission launched to study the Earth atmospheric chemistry and physics in the limb-sounding mode (TELIS). The TELIS project is a pre-cursor for the satellite mission ACECHEM to be flown early 2011. During the project a phase-locked superconducting local oscillator (LO) will be developed and integrated with a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer and a planar superconducting antenna in a single-chip receiver. The main scientific objective and challenge of the project is to develop a theory to adequately describe the FFO linewidth dependence on experimental parameters and to achieve high spectral resolution of the integrated receiver by phase-locking the superconducting Flux-Flow Oscillator (FFO) to an external reference oscillator. Another important objective of the project is to study the fundamental limitations to the frequency range and linewidth of cryogenic FFOs. In order to increase the gap voltage and thus the maximum operational frequency new materials will be tested. The ultimate goal of this part of the project is to fabricate and test all key elements of the SIR necessary for use up to 1 THz.The proposal is based on extensive preliminary studies carried out by the project groups over the last few years in the field of superconducting electronics. The scientific teams involved in the project consist of world-class experts in the fields of superconducting circuit design and fabrication, non-linear Josephson devices, and quantum quasiparticle SIS receivers. The project groups: Groningen Space Research Laboratory (SRON), the Netherlands; Technical University of Denmark (TUD), Denmark; Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics (IREE), Russia, have a successful long-term experience in the design and study of SIS mixers, microwave integrated circuits and superconducting high frequency oscillators. Technological facilities and reliable procedures for fabrication of Nb -AlOx -Nb tunnel junctions (presently the basic elements of most super conducting devices) have been developed by the project teams. In the past few years a FFO has been tested by scientists from the project groups (IREE, DTU) as a LO for an integrated receiver in the frequency range 100 - 850 GHz. As first in the world, a laboratory prototype design of an Integrated Receiver has been developed and successfully tested at 500 GHz (IREE, SRON). The single-chip receiver comprises a double dipole antenna, an SIS mixer and a Josephson FFO with matching circuits. Presently a practical realization of the Integrated Receiver concept is being tested (INTAS project No. 97-1712), and a. double-sideband noise temperature below 100 K, just 3 times above the quantum limit, has been obtained at 500 GHz.All results listed above provide an excellent background for future studies and developments. During the project a reliable technology for fabrication of tunnel junctions and integrated circuits will be optimised. Fundamental limitations to the frequency and linewidth of cryogenic FFOs will be studied. New materials, in order to increase the gap voltage and thus the maximum operational frequency of integrated receivers will be tested. A family of Superconducting Integrated Receivers (SIRs) with phase-locked FFO will be developed and tested. This family includes a prototype of the SIR for space applications with a noise temperature close to the quantum limit hf/k and also an airborne SIR spectrometer for monitoring ozone, chlorine and industrial contaminants in the atmosphere. The required parameters of this instrument are as follows: frequency range 500-650 GHz, noise temperature (DSB) below 250 K, and spectral resolution better than 1 MHz. The new ambitious radio-astronomy multi-dish projects (e.g. ALMA) would gain considerably by using single-chip SIRs with phase locked FFO due to their lower price and better serviceability than conventional approaches. The Integrated Spectrometer is particularly promising as a laboratory-scale instrument for detection of radiation from the newly developed semiconducting and superconducting submm wave sources. In mass production the cost of a microcircuit for an Integrated Spectrometers would be of order 1000 USD which is much lower than the 20-25,000 USD presently paid for a conventional oscillator in the same frequency range. Programa(s) IC-INTAS - International Association for the promotion of cooperation with scientists from the independent states of the former Soviet Union (INTAS), 1993- Tema(s) 1B - Condensed Matter, Optics and Plasma Physics OPEN - OPEN Call Convocatoria de propuestas Data not available Régimen de financiación Data not available Coordinador Space Research Organization of the Netherlands (SRON) Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Landleven, 12 9700 AV Groningen Países Bajos Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Participantes (6) Ordenar alfabéticamente Ordenar por aportación de la UE Ampliar todo Contraer todo Russian Academy of Sciences Rusia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Mokhovaya street, 11 103907 Moscow Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Russian Academy of Sciences Rusia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Ulyanov Street, 46 603950 Nizhny Novgorod Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Russian Academy of Sciences Rusia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección 603600 Nizhny Novgorod Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos State Research Center of Superconducting Electronics "Iceberg" Ucrania Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección 2b, 50-richia Zhovtnia av. 03148 Kiev Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Technical University of Denmark Dinamarca Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Anker Engelunds vej 1, Building 309 2800 Lyngby Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos Yerevan State University Armenia Aportación de la UE Sin datos Dirección Alex Manoogian St. 1 375049 Erevan Ver en el mapa Coste total Sin datos
