Microwave oscillators incorporating high performance distributed Bragg reflector microwave resonators

We previously demonstrated a new resonator device structure that achieves Q-factors well above those currently realisable. The new structure consists of a microwave cavity, where the enclosure walls consist of distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) in three dimensions, made of low-loss sapphire. Theoretical analysis has demonstrated that the resonator's performance is critically dependent upon accurate alignment of the DBR components, thereby maintaining the desired symmetry of the resonant structure. Breaking of the symmetry causes mixing of the high performance Bragg reflected mode with low-Q hybrid cavity modes. The fabrication tolerances required to achieve the expected resonator performance are met with a precise but simple alignment tool. A pair of these resonators have been built at 9.0 GHz, and have demonstrated unloaded Qs in excess of 700,000 at room temperature. These resonators are incorporated into simple two-port feedback oscillator circuits. Phase noise measurements were performed on the two free-running oscillators.     

Planar resonator and integrated oscillator using magnetostatic waves

A simple planar resonator using a magnetostatic wave (MSW) excited by aluminum finger electrodes with two bonding pads was realized on YIG/GGG (yttrium-iron-garnet film on a gadolinium-gallium-garnet crystal) substrate with two reflection edges. The tunable MSW resonator chip (2 mm×5 mm) exhibited a sharp notch filter response, as deep as 20-35 dB, and a high loaded Q up to 2000, which was tunable over the microwave frequency range from 2 to 4 GHz. A small tunable oscillator (8 cm³) was experimentally demonstrated using the MSW planar resonator and a silicon bipolar transistor integrated on a ceramic microwave circuit substrate. Microwave oscillation with spectral purity, at the same level as that of YIG sphere technology, was observed at 3 GHz. The experimental results indicate the technical areas where improvement must be made to realize a practical oscillator configuration     

Tunable magnetostatic waves bandpass filters with scandium doped yttrium iron garnet films

This paper reports results of theoretical and experimental studies of microwave bandpass tuned filters based on magnetostatic surface wave (MSSW) propagation in yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films. Filter transmission and input impedance characteristics for saturation magnetization 139 kAm^–1 of YIG films and 32 kAm^–1 of scandium-doped YIG films have been calculated and measured experimentally. Structures of a planar, multilayer metal-dielectric-YIG geometry are used to model the filters. Parameters of the structures have been optimized with the help of a computer. Scandium-doped YIG films of thickness near 100 m and saturation magnetization 32 kAm^–1 have been found potentially useful in the manufacture of tunable bandpass filters.     

Low-noise microwave signal generation using bulk- and surface-acoustic-wave resonators

An overview is provided of some of the more important resonator utilization and associated circuit-design considerations involved in the generation of low-noise microwave signals. Signal spectral relationships in acoustic resonator-controlled oscillators are considered. Possible methods for providing additional signal short-term stability improvements are discussed.     

Nondispersive delay line on magnetostatic waves

A new approach to the design of a nondispersive delay line on magnetostatic waves is proposed, whereby the cascades operating on the surface waves and the backward volume waves have a common passband in the same magnetic system due to a difference in the crystallogrphic orientations of ferrite waveguides cut from a {100} yttrium iron garnet film. The possibility to obtain a pulse delay time of up to 113 ± 3 ns in a 300-MHz-wide frequency band is experimentally demonstrated. The central frequency of this band can be tuned within 4–6 GHz by changing the applied magnetic field.     

Characterization technique of optical whispering gallery mode resonators in the microwave frequency domain for optoelectronic oscillators

Optical Q factor measurements are performed on a whispering gallery mode (WGM) disk resonator using a microwave frequency domain approach instead of using an optical domain approach. An absence of hysteretic behavior and a better linearity are obtained when performing linewidth measurements by using a microwave modulation for scanning the resonances instead of the piezoelectric-based frequency tuning capability of the laser. The WGM resonator is then used to stabilize a microwave optoelectronic oscillator. The microwave output of this system generates a 12.48 GHz signal with -94 dBc/Hz phase noise at 10 kHz offset.     

Analysis and design of negative resistance oscillators using surface transverse wave-based single port resonators

This practically oriented paper presents the fundamentals for analysis, optimization, and design of negative resistance oscillators (NRO) stabilized with surface transverse wave (STW)-based single-port resonators (SPR). Data on a variety of high-Q, low-loss SPR devices in the 900- to 2000-MHz range, suitable for NRO applications, are presented, and a simple method for SPR parameter extraction through Pi-circuit measurements is outlined. Negative resistance analysis, based on S-parameter data of the active device, is performed on a tuned-base, grounded collector transistor NRO, known for its good stability and tuning at microwave frequencies. By adding a SPR in the emitter network, the static transducer capacitance is absorbed by the circuit and is used to generate negative resistance only over the narrow bandwidth of the acoustic device, eliminating the risk of spurious oscillations. The analysis allows exact prediction of the oscillation frequency, tuning range, loaded Q, and excess gain. Simulation and experimental data on a 915-MHz fixed-frequency NRO and a wide tuning range, voltage-controlled STW oscillator, built and tested experimentally, are presented. Practical design aspects including the choice of transistor, negative feedback circuits, load coupling, and operation at the highest phase slope for minimum phase noise are discussed.     

High Q printed helical resonators for oscillators and filters

High Q compact printed helical resonators which operate from around 1.8 to 2 GHz are described. These consist of a multilayer printed circuit board (PCB) incorporating a printed helical transmission line. Loss in the via hole is reduced by ensuring that the standing wave current at this point is near zero. This ensures a significant increase in Q. Further increased energy storage per unit volume is achieved due to the 3-D helical nature of the resonator. Unloaded Qs of 235 and 195 have been obtained on low loss PCBs with dielectric constants of 2.2 and 10.5, respectively. Two applications for these resonators are described in this paper. The first is the design of a compact low noise oscillator where the ratio of QL/Q0, and hence insertion loss, is adjusted for low noise. The 2-GHz oscillator demonstrates a phase noise of -120 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz which is predicted exactly by the theory. The second is a three-section filter designed to offer the response required by the front end filter of a modern GSM mobile telephone. In the filter design three helical resonators are coupled together to produce a completely printed triplate bandpass filter.     

Broad tuning ultra low phase noise dielectric resonator oscillators using SiGe amplifier and ceramic-based resonators

This paper describes the design of very low noise, tunable, X-band dielectric resonator oscillators (DROs) demonstrating phase-noise performance of -135 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset. SiGe transistors are used for the oscillator sustaining amplifiers that offer a circulating power of 12 dBm and a gain of 5.4 dB per stage as well as a low flicker noise corner of 40 kHz. A variety of resonator configurations utilising BaTiO₃ resonators are presented demonstrating unloaded Qs from 10 000 to 22 000. These resonators are optimised and coupled to the amplifiers for minimum phase noise where Q_L/Q₀ = 1/2, and hence S₂₁ = -6 dB. To incorporate tuning with low additional phase noise, a phase shifter is also investigated. The theory for the low noise oscillator design is included; experimental results demonstrate close correlation with the theory.     

Extremely low-phase-noise SAW resonators and oscillators: design and performance

The authors describe prototype low-noise SAW (surface acoustic wave) resonator oscillators which have demonstrated state-of-the-art phase-noise performance not only at their fundamental operating frequencies in the 400- to 600-MHz range but also after 16x frequency multiplication to X-band as well. SAW resonator designs with overmoded cavities, very wide apertures, and dual apertures, as well as modified fabrication techniques, have been used to realize an overall reduction in an oscillator's phase-noise spectrum, i.e. white phiM, flicker FM, and random-walk FM. The S resonators can typically handle incident RF power in excess of +20 dBm, a key requirement to achieving an extremely low oscillator-phase-noise floor. A novel burn-in procedure at relatively high incident-RF-power levels (>27 dBm) was used to reduce both the flicker FM and random-walk FM phase-noise levels. Using these various techniques, a 5- to 15-dB improvement in the overall phase-noise spectrum for several prototype oscillators was demonstrated.     

Reduced transposed flicker noise in microwave oscillators using gaas-based feedforward amplifiers

Transposed flicker noise reduction and removal is demonstrated in 7.6 GHz microwave oscillators for offsets greater than 10 kHz. This is achieved by using a GaAs-based feedforward power amplifier as the oscillation-sustaining stage and incorporating a limiter and resonator elsewhere in the loop. 20 dB noise suppression is demonstrated at 12.5 kHz offset when the error correcting amplifier is switched on. Three oscillator pairs have been built. A transmission line feedback oscillator with a Qo of 180 and two sapphire-based, dielectric resonator oscillators (DROs) with a Qo of 44,500. The difference between the two DROs is a change in the limiter threshold power level of 10 dB. The phase noise rolls-off at (1/f)(2) for offsets greater than 10 kHz for the transmission line oscillator and is set by the thermal noise to within 0-1 dB of the theoretical minimum. The noise performance of the DROs is within 6-12 dB of the theory. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are presented.     

Tunable multiple mode-splitting in coupled graphene resonators system

We investigate a coupled graphene resonator system which exhibits multiple mode-splitting effects and electromagnetically-induced-absorption-like transmission. The finite element method has been employed to study the transmission and electromagnetic responses of our designs at mid-infrared frequency. According to simulation results, the mode-splitting effects are mainly dependent on the destructive interference between two graphene resonators. By varying the chemical potential of graphene or the coupling gap, we are accessible to achieve a dynamically controllable mode-splitting system serving as a sensing application.     

Modulation instability of surface magnetostatic waves in ferromagnet-dielectric-ferromagnet structures

It is theoretically demonstrated that a modulation instability of magnetostatic surface waves with respect to perturbations along the propagation direction is possible in a laterally magnetized coupled ferromagnet-dielectric-ferromagnet structure. In the case of a single mode excitation of the given structure, the modulation instability can develop due to a change in the character of dispersion. If two modes are excited in the structure, the modulation instability can develop as a result of nonlinear coupling.     

High-Q thermoelectric-stabilized sapphire microwave resonators forlow-noise applications

Two low-noise high-Q sapphire-loaded cavity (SLC) resonators, with unloaded Q values of 2×10⁵ and very low densities of spurious modes, have been constructed. They were designed to operate at 0°C with a center frequency of 10.000000 GHz. The cavity was cooled with a thermoelectric (TE) Peltier element, and in practice achieved the required center frequency near 1°C. The resonator has a measured frequency-temperature coefficient of -0.7 MHz/K, and a Q factor which is measured to be proportional to T^-2.5. An upper limit to the SLC residual phase noise of ℒ (100) Hz=-147 dBc/Hz, ℒ (1 kHz)=-155 dBc/Hz, and ℒ (10) kHz=-160 dBc/Hz has been measured. Also, we have created a free-running loop oscillator based on one of the SLC resonators, and measured a phase noise of ℒ(f)~-10-30log [f] dBc/Hz between f=10 /Hz and 25 kHz, using the other as a discriminator     

High-Q sapphire-rutile frequency-temperature compensated microwave dielectric resonators

A sapphiro-rutile composite resonator was constructed from a cylindrical sapphire monocrystal with two thin disks of monocrystal rutile held tightly against the ends. Because rutile exhibits low loss and an opposite temperature coefficient of permittivity to sapphire, it is an ideal material for compensating the frequency-temperature dependence of a sapphire resonator. Most of the electromagnetic modes in the composite structure exhibited turning points (or compensation points) in the frequency-temperature characteristic. The temperatures of compensation for the WG quasi TM modes were measured to be below 90 K with Q-factors of the order of a few million depending on the mode. For WG quasi TE modes, the temperatures of compensation were measured to be between 100 to 160 K with Q-factors of the order of a few hundreds of thousands, depending on the mode. The second derivatives of the compensation points were measured to be of the order 0.1 ppm/K(2 ), which agreed well with the predicted values.     

Dielectric loaded HTS resonators as frequency standards andlow-phase noise oscillators

High-quality, high-temperature superconducting (HTS) thin-films exhibit very low losses at microwave frequencies and, as a result, allow very high Q resonators to be produced. The size of such resonators may be significantly reduced by loading with low-loss single crystal dielectric. The potential for HTS dielectric loaded resonators as practical frequency standards and reference elements for low-phase-noise oscillators is assessed, with emphasis on operation at 60 K, a temperature readily attainable with compact Stirling cycle coolers     

Tunable filter and optical buffer based on dual plasmonic ring resonators

We demonstrate the realization of on chip plasmon-induced transparency using dual ring resonators coupling to metal–dielectric–metal bus waveguide. The theoretical results agree well with the finite-difference time-domain simulative ones. Moreover, by adjusting the radius, width, as well as the coupling distance can efficiently operate the wavelengths and bandwidths of our filter. In theory, we propose a feasible method to improve the trade-off between transmission and quality factor. Finally, the ultra-compact structure possesses slow light effect and manifests a low group velocity, which provides a guideline to control the light and has potential application in optical filter and optical buffer.     

Frequency stability in plasma relativistic microwave oscillators

Some features in the operation of microwave oscillators based on the interaction of high-current relativistic electron beams with plasma are considered. The frequency of radiation generated by such oscillators depends of the plasma density, which can vary both during a single microwave pulse and from one pulse to another. The magnitude of these variations can reach several percent. The dependence of the oscillator frequency on the plasma density has been analyzed and the possibility of ensuring stable generation has been studied in numerical experiments. It is established that microwave pulses can be generated with a frequency scatter, which does not exceed the natural spectral bandwidth determined by the pulse duration. The results of calculations and numerical simulations are compared to the available experimental data.     

Rotating waves in rings of coupled oscillators

In this paper we discuss the types of stable oscillation created via Hopf bifurcations for a ring of identical nonlinear oscillators, each of which is diffusively and symmetrically coupled to both its neighbours, and which, when uncoupled, undergo a supercritical Hopf bifurcation creating a stable periodic orbit as a parameter, λ is increased. We show that for small enough coupling, the only stable rotating waves produced are either one or a conjugate pair, depending on the parity of the number of oscillators in the ring and the sign of the coupling constant, and that the magnitude of the phase difference between neighbouring oscillators for these rotating waves is either zero (i.e. the oscillators are synchronized) or the maximum possible, depending on the sign of the coupling constant. These brances of rotating waves are produced supercritically.     

Generation of chaotic microwave pulses in a ring system based on a klystron power amplifier and a nonlinear delay line on magnetostatic waves

The autonomous generation of stationary chaotic microwave pulse trains in a self-oscillating ring system with a multicavity klystron power amplifier operating in a small-signal regime and a wideband non-linear delay line on surface magnetostatic waves has been experimentally studied. It is established that the characteristics of generated chaotic microwave pulses can be controlled by varying the electron beam current and accelerating voltage in the klystron.