Josephson admittance spectroscopy application for frequency analysis of broadband THz antennas

Abstract

Application of Josephson admittance spectroscopy for the spectral analysis of a broad-band log-periodic superconducting antenna was demonstrated at the frequency range from 50 to 700 GHz. The [001]-tilt YBa2Cu 3O7-x bicrystal Josephson junctions, integrated with sinuous log-periodic YBa2Cu3O7-x antennas, were fabricated on NdGaO3 bicrystal substrates. A real part of the antenna admittance ReY(f) as a function of the frequency f was reconstructed from the modification of the dc current-voltage characteristic of the junction, induced by the antenna. Resonance features were observed in the recovered ReY(f)-spectra with a periodicity in the logarithmic frequency scale, corresponding to log-periodic geometry of the antenna. The ReY(f)-spectra, recovered by Josephson spectroscopy, were compared with the ReY(f)-spectra, obtained by CAD simulation, and both spectra were shown to be similar in their main features. A value of 23 was obtained for an effective permittivity of the NdGaO3 bicrystal substrates by fitting simulated data to those obtained from Josephson spectroscopy. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.