A 492 GHz quasioptical superconductor‐insulator‐superconductor (SIS) heterodyne receiver for submillimeter astronomy has been constructed with a double‐sideband noise temperature of 170±25 K, where the system response is an average over a 600 MHz i.f. bandwidth centered at 1.5 GHz. The excellent sensitivity is achieved through use of a planar twin‐slot antenna feeding a pair of Nb–Al2O3–Nb junctions linked by an inductance. A main beam of f/15 has been measured. The performance of this receiver is comparable to that of the best 492 GHz waveguide receivers currently in operation.

Topics
Superconductors, Antennas, Signal processing, Radio astronomy, Metal oxides
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© 1994 American Institute of Physics.
1994
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