A gain and bandwidth enhanced transimpedance preamplifier for Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

The nature of the ion signal from a 12-T Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer and the electronic noise were studied to further understand the electronic detection limit. At minimal cost, a new transimpedance preamplifier was designed, computer simulated, built, and tested. The preamplifier design pushes the electronic signal-to-noise performance at room temperature to the limit, because of its enhanced tolerance of the capacitance of the detection device, lower intrinsic noise, and larger flat mid-band gain (input current noise spectral density of around 1 pA/√Hz when the transimpedance is about 85 dBΩ). The designed preamplifier has a bandwidth of ~3 kHz to 10 MHz, which corresponds to the mass-to-charge ratio, m/z, of approximately 18 to 61 k at 12 T. The transimpedance and the bandwidth can be easily adjusted by changing the value of passive components. The feedback limitation of the circuit is discussed. With the maximum possible transimpedance of 5.3 MΩ when using an 0402 surface mount resistor, the preamplifier was estimated to be able to detect ~110 charges in a single scan.     

Cryogenic ultra-low-noise SiGe transistor amplifier

An ultra-low-noise one-stage SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor amplifier was designed for cryogenic temperatures and a frequency range of 10 kHz-100 MHz. A noise temperature T(N) ≈ 1.4 K was measured at an ambient temperature of 4.2 K at frequencies between 100 kHz and 100 MHz for a source resistance of ~50 Ω. The voltage gain of the amplifier was 25 dB at a power consumption of 720 μW. The input voltage noise spectral density of the amplifier is about 35 pV/√Hz. The low noise resistance and power consumption makes the amplifier suitable for readout of resistively shunted DC SQUID magnetometers and amplifiers.     

Note: A high dynamic range, linear response transimpedance amplifier

We have built a high dynamic range (nine decade) transimpedance amplifier with a linear response. The amplifier uses junction-gate field effect transistors (JFETs) to switch between three different resistors in the feedback of a low input bias current operational amplifier. This allows for the creation of multiple outputs, each with a linear response and a different transimpedance gain. The overall bandwidth of the transimpedance amplifier is set by the bandwidth of the most sensitive range. For our application, we demonstrate a three-stage amplifier with transimpedance gains of approximately 10(9)Ω, 3 × 10(7)Ω, and 10(4)Ω with a bandwidth of 100 Hz.     

微弱信号选频放大电路的研制

为提高弱信号检测中的信噪比,常采用选频放大电路放大微弱信号,然后利用自相关检测技术只提取所需信号,抑制噪声干扰信号.介绍了无限增益选频放大电路的研制技巧:第一级选频放大电路必须选择低噪声运算放大器,当使用超低噪声的运放时,电阻的热噪声是主要噪声源,串联在输入端的电阻其阻值应比较小.各级选频放大电路都必须选用温度系数小的电阻和电容,其中电容对频率的稳定性影响更大.在PCB布线时采用一点接地方法,避免后级电路通过电源和地线反馈至前级电路引起自激.研究表明,当选频放大电路输入端短路时,末级输出噪声超过30mVpp,就比较容易出现自激振荡.这可以作为确定选频放大电路极限放大倍数的依据.     

四极质谱检测中复合放大器的低噪声高带宽设计

四极质谱峰信号是10-11A到10-6A级的微弱电流,并且快速变化,所以在大动态范围内实现低噪声和高带宽是设计关键。设计一种开环增益(ac)可调整的同相输入复合跨阻抗放大器,分析ac对信号和噪声的作用。在较低放大倍率时,改变ac后同相输入复合放大器会降低自身产生的噪声,实现低噪声;在较高放大倍率时,改变ac后同相输入复合放大器能扩展被极高阻值的反馈电阻和寄生电容降低的信号带宽。实验结果表明：与反相输入复合放大器相比,同相输入复合放大器在106-107V/A放大时能降低5-30%噪声,在108V/A放大时扩展带宽1.8倍并提高10-15%质谱峰强度,提高了质谱峰的信噪比。     

Gradiometric micro-SQUID susceptometer for scanning measurements of mesoscopic samples

We have fabricated and characterized micro-SQUID susceptometers for use in low-temperature scanning probe microscopy systems. The design features the following: a 4.6 mum diameter pickup loop; an integrated field coil to apply a local field to the sample; an additional counterwound pickup-loop/field-coil pair to cancel the background signal from the applied field in the absence of the sample; modulation coils to allow setting the SQUID at its optimum bias point (independent of the applied field), and shielding and symmetry that minimizes coupling of magnetic fields into the leads and body of the SQUID. We use a SQUID series array preamplifier to obtain a system bandwidth of 1 MHz. The flux noise at 125 mK is approximately 0.25 mu Phi 0/ sqrt Hz above 10 kHz, with a value of 2.5 mu Phi 0/ sqrt Hz at 10 Hz. The nominal sensitivity to electron spins located at the center of the pickup loop is approximately 200 muB/ sqrt Hz above 10 kHz, in the white-noise frequency region.     

新型纳米阻抗显微镜前置放大器的设计

基于扫描隧道显微镜的新型纳米阻抗显微镜（STM-NIM）能够测量材料表面的纳米微区阻抗性质并具有分辨率高的突出优点，但传统STM前置放大器的频率带宽不能满足STM-NIM测量模式的要求，因而需要设计新型前置放大器。STM-NIM前置放大器必须在噪声和频率带宽两方面同时具有非常优良的性能。本文利用STM及NIM信号的特点，通过将信号一分为二并对电路进行优化，研制出了满足STM-NIM测量要求的新型前置放大器。测试表明，该前置放大器能同时用于NIM阻抗测量和STM形貌扫描；其NIM信号的频率带宽达到300kHz；其STM信号的噪声约为0．8mV，能满足原子级分辨成像的要求。     

基于单片机的低频功率放大器设计

设计了一种低频功率放大器,主要由前置放大、功率放大、稳压电源及输出测量显示等电路组成。系统采用STC89C52RC单片机为控制核心,使用高品质的双运算放大器NE5532进行小信号放大和带阻滤波,功放采用MOS晶体管,具有输出功率、电源功率、整机效率等测量功能,结果以数字显示。该机音响效果优良、信噪比高、频带宽、失真小、输入灵敏度高,有较大的功率余量和动态范围,可以高保真地还原出逼真的清纯音响。     

Ultra-low-noise preamplifier for condenser microphones

The paper presents the design of a low-noise preamplifier dedicated for condenser measurement microphones used in high sensitivity applications, in which amplifier noise is the main factor limiting sensitivity of the measurements. In measurement microphone preamplifiers, the dominant source of noise at lower frequencies is the bias resistance of the input stage. In the presented solution, resistors were connected to the input stage by means of switches. The switches are opened during measurements, which disconnects the resistors from the input stage and results in noise reduction. Closing the switches allows for fast charging of the microphone capacitance. At low frequencies the noise of the designed preamplifier is a few times lower in comparison to similar, commercially available instruments.     

A fast current preamplifier for silicon detectors

A circuit of a fast current preamplifier for silicon detectors is designed. The main purpose of the preamplifier is to record signals from silicon detectors, which repeat the detector current shape. The preamplifier noise is 0.43 nV/Hz1/2.     

Low-noise, high-speed detector development for optical turbulence fluctuation measurements for NSTX

A new beam emission spectroscopy (BES) diagnostic is under development. Photon-noise limited measurements of neutral beam emissions are achieved using photoconductive photodiodes with a novel frequency-compensated broadband preamplifier. The new BES system includes a next-generation preamplifier and upgraded optical coupling system. Notable features of the design are surface-mount components, minimized stray capacitance, a wide angular acceptance photodiode, a differential output line driver, reduced input capacitance, doubling of the frequency range, net reduced electronic noise, and elimination of the need for a cryogenic cooling system. The irreducible photon noise dominates the noise up to 800 kHz for a typical input power of 60 nW. This new assembly is being integrated into an upgraded multichannel optical detector assembly for a new BES system on the NSTX experiment.     

Differential automatic zero-adjusting amplifier

A method is described for building a low-voltage-drift differential dc amplifier featuring automatic zero adjustment, a high input impedance, and a bandwidth of 10 kHz. This is achieved by an asymmetric two-step process between the input signal and ground. Bandwidth can be extended by the use of a second amplifier during the ground-sampling time. The amplifier can be made with standard electronic components. A major advantage of this method is that an existing amplifier can easily be converted into a low-voltage-drift amplifier by adding the essential elements of the described automatic zero-adjusting amplifier to its input stage. To illustrate the method a practical example is constructed featuring a drift of 0.2 microV/ degrees C.     

Wide bandwidth transimpedance amplifier for extremely high sensitivity continuous measurements

This article presents a wide bandwidth transimpedance amplifier based on the series of an integrator and a differentiator stage, having an additional feedback loop to discharge the standing current from the device under test (DUT) to ensure an unlimited measuring time opportunity when compared to switched discharge configurations while maintaining a large signal amplification over the full bandwidth. The amplifier shows a flat response from 0.6 Hz to 1.4 MHz, the capability to operate with leakage currents from the DUT as high as tens of nanoamperes, and rail-to-rail dynamic range for sinusoidal current signals independent of the DUT leakage current. Also available is a monitor output of the stationary current to track experimental slow drifts. The circuit is ideal for noise spectral and impedance measurements of nanodevices and biomolecules when in the presence of a physiological medium and in all cases where high sensitivity current measurements are requested such as in scanning probe microscopy systems.     

An ultralow noise current amplifier based on superconducting quantum interference device for high sensitivity applications

An integrated ultrahigh sensitive current amplifier based on a niobium dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) has been developed. The sensor design is based on a multiturn signal coil coupled to a suitable SQUID magnetometer. The signal coil consists of 60 square niobium turns tightly coupled to a superconducting flux transformer of a SQUID magnetometer. The primary coil (pick-up coil) of the flux transformer has been suitably designed in order to accommodate the multiturn input coil. It has a side length of 10 mm and a width of 2.4 mm. In such a way we have obtained a signal current to magnetic flux transfer coefficient (current sensitivity) as low as 62 nA∕Φ(0). The sensor has been characterized in liquid helium by using a direct coupling low noise readout electronic and a standard modulated electronic in flux locked loop configuration for the noise measurements. Beside the circuit complexity, the sensor has exhibited a smooth and free resonance voltage-flux characteristic guaranteeing a reliable and a stable working operation. Considering a SQUID magnetic flux noise of S(Φ)(1∕2) = 1.8 μΦ(0)∕Hz(1∕2) at T = 4.2 K, a current noise as low as 110 fA∕Hz(1∕2) is obtained. Such a value is about a factor two less than the noise of other SQUIDs of the same category. As an application, Nyquist noise measurements of integrated test resistors using the current sensing noise thermometer technique are reported. Due to its high performance such a sensor can be employed in all applications requiring an extremely current sensitivity like the readout of the gravitational wave detectors and the current sensing noise thermometry.     

High-resolution dc-voltage-biased ac conductance bridge for tunnel junction measurements

A simple, low-cost conductance bridge circuit, which provides high-resolution measurements of dI/dV and d 2I/dV2 for a voltage-biased load, is presented. A resolution in dI/dV for a 90-Omega tunnel junction of several parts in 10(5) has been measured using a 35-microV-rms modulation level and a 1-s postdetection time constant (Bn=0.25 Hz). The output impedance of the voltage source and the error in the conductance measurement are discussed. The output impedance of the circuit with an AD119 operational amplifier is 0.02 Omega. A detailed discussion of Johnson-Nyquist, tunnel junction, and amplifier noise is presented.     

Measuring gain and noise in active long-range surface plasmon-polariton waveguides

We describe techniques and an experimental setup to measure the gain and noise characteristics of a long-range surface plasmon-polariton amplifier consisting of a symmetric metallic stripe waveguide incorporating optically pumped dye molecules in the solution as the gain medium. The setup is capable of acquiring absolute power measurements at the amplifier's output over a narrow optical bandwidth. This allows independent characterization of the amplifier's gain via measurements of stimulated emission and via measurements of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) over a narrow optical bandwidth, both obtained during the same experimental run. In addition, the absolute power measurements of ASE quantify directly the amplifier's noise.     

Initial operation of a pulse-burst laser system for high-repetition-rate Thomson scattering

A pulse-burst laser has been installed for Thomson scattering measurements on the Madison Symmetric Torus reversed-field pinch. The laser design is a master-oscillator power-amplifier. The master oscillator is a commercial Nd:YVO(4) laser (1064 nm) which is capable of Q-switching at frequencies between 5 and 250 kHz. Four Nd:YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet) amplifier stages are in place to amplify the Nd:YVO(4) emission. Single pulses through the Nd:YAG amplifier stages gives energies up to 1.5 J and the gain for each stage has been measured. Repetitive pulsing at 10 kHz has also been performed for 2 ms bursts, giving average pulse energies of 0.53 J with ΔE/E of 4.6%, where ΔE is the standard deviation between pulses. The next step will be to add one of two Nd:glass (silicate) amplifier stages to produce final pulse energies of 1-2 J for bursts up to 250 kHz.     

星载感应式空心磁芯磁传感器的研究

优化设计了频率带宽为1 Hz~10 k Hz的空心磁芯感应式磁传感器。首先提出空心结构的磁芯,分析空心磁芯的退磁因数和有效磁导率,并仿真、实测空心磁芯感应线圈的磁通,得出一定壁厚的空心磁芯感应线圈的磁通可以等于相同长径比棒状磁芯感应线圈的磁通。然后分析空心磁芯感应式磁传感器的灵敏度与噪声,通过数学算法优化噪声公式达到要求的噪声指标和较低的重量。为验证理论分析,设计空心磁芯感应式磁传感器,在屏蔽室对空心磁芯感应式磁传感器的性能进行测试,频率高于400 Hz时灵敏度为0.73 V/n T。100 Hz时噪声为0.06 p T/Hz1/2,总重量为80 g。实测的空心磁芯感应式磁传感器的灵敏度与噪声和理论分析一致。空心磁芯感应式磁传感器与THEMIS相比具有噪声低、重量轻的优点,能够满足空间电磁探测的实用条件。     

A third-order complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor sigma-delta modulator operating between 4.2 K and 300 K

This paper presents a third-order switched-capacitor sigma-delta modulator implemented in a standard 0.35-μm CMOS process. It operates from 300 K down to 4.2 K, achieving 70.8 dB signal-to-noise-plus-distortion ratio (SNDR) in a signal bandwidth of 5 kHz with a sampling frequency of 500 kHz at 300 K. The modulator utilizes an operational transconductance amplifier in its loop filter, whose architecture has been optimized in order to eliminate the cryogenic anomalies below the freeze-out temperature. At 4.2 K, the modulator achieves 67.7 dB SNDR consuming 21.17 μA current from a 3.3 V supply.     

A dual analyzer for real-time impedance and noise spectroscopy of nanoscale devices

This paper introduces a simple portable dual analyzer which allows real-time ac-impedance measurements and noise spectroscopic analysis simultaneously, employing one or two data acquisition systems together with a low noise current-to-voltage preamplifier. The input signal composed of numerous selected frequencies of sinusoidal voltages with a dc bias was applied to a device under the test (DUT): single walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors (SWCNT-FETs). Each frequency component, ranging from 1 to 46.4 kHz, was successfully mapped to a Nyquist plot using the background of the electrical noise power spectrum. It is, thus, clearly demonstrated that this dual analyzer enables the real-time ac-impedance analysis and the frequency response of the carrier transport in the SWCNT-FETs as a DUT.