Matched wideband low-noise amplifiers for radio astronomy

Two packaged low noise amplifiers for the 0.3–4 GHz frequency range are described. The amplifiers can be operated at temperatures of 300–4 K and achieve noise temperatures in the 5 K range (<0.1 dB noise figure) at 15 K physical temperature. One amplifier utilizes commercially available, plastic-packaged SiGe transistors for first and second stages; the second amplifier is identical except it utilizes an experimental chip transistor as the first stage. Both amplifiers use resistive feedback to provide input reflection coefficient S11<−10 dB over a decade bandwidth with gain over 30 dB. The amplifiers can be used as rf amplifiers in very low noise radio astronomy systems or as i.f. amplifiers following superconducting mixers operating in the millimeter and submillimeter frequency range

The Use of Cryogenic HEMT Amplifiers in Wide Band Radiometers

Advances in device fabrication, modelling and design techniques have made wide band, low noise cryogenic amplifiers available at frequencies up to 106 GHz. Microwave radiometry applications as used in radio astronomy capitalize on the low noise and large bandwidths of these amplifiers. Radiometers must be carefully designed so as to preclude sensitivity degradations caused by small, low frequency gain fluctuations inherent in these amplifiers

Fast high--voltage amplifiers for driving electro-optic modulators

We describe five high-voltage (60 to 550V peak to peak), high-speed (1-300ns rise time; 1.3-300MHz bandwidth) linear amplifiers for driving capacitive or resistive loads such as electro-optic modulators. The amplifiers use bipolar transistors in various topologies. Two use electron tubes to overcome the speed limitations of high-voltage semiconductors. All amplifiers have been built. Measured performance data is given for each.Comment: 9pages, 6figures, 6tables, to appear in Review of Scientific Instrument

Constant-amplitude, frequency- independent phase shifter

Electronic circuit using operational amplifiers provides output with constant phase shift amplitude, with respect to sinusoidal input, over wide range of frequencies. New circuit includes field effect transistor, Q, operational amplifiers, A1 and A2, and phase detector

Adaptive control circuit prevents amplifier saturation

Adaptive control circuit prevents saturation of push-pull output amplifiers used in low-power, low-torque suspension system. The adaptive control circuit senses how near the output amplifiers are to saturation and sets the B voltage in such a way as to keep them just clear of saturation