Extremely low phase noise UHF oscillators utilizing high-overtone, bulk-acoustic resonators

High-overtone, bulk acoustic resonators (HBAR) have been designed that exhibit 9-dB insertion loss and loaded Q values of 80000 at 640 MHz with out-of-phase resonances occurring every 2.5 MHz. These resonators have been used as ovenized frequency-control elements in very low phase noise oscillators. The oscillator sustaining stage circuitry incorporates low-1/f noise modular RF amplifiers, Schottky-diode ALC, and a miniature 2-pole helical filter for suppression of HBAR adjacent resonant responses. Measurement of oscillator output signal flicker-of-frequency noise confirms that state-of-the-art levels of short-term frequency stability have been obtained. Sustaining stage circuit contribution to resulting oscillator flicker-of-frequency noise is 7-10 dB below that due to the resonators themselves. At 16-dBm resonator drive, an oscillator output signal white phase noise floor level of -175 dBc/Hz is achieved.     

VHF and UHF Attenuation Measurements to 140 dB

A system has been assembled for rapid comparison of production step attenuators, with a reference attenuator using direct substitution at spot frequencies in the VHF and UHF range. The total attenuation range for such tests is 140 dB, with a basic resolution of ±0.01 dB and with maximum errors of ±0.08 dB, attributable, primarily, to reflection inaccuracies. Simplified methods for measurement to 110 dB at any selected frequency are described, as well as additional refinements permitting spot frequency measurements to 170 dB. The basic equipment required for these measurements is a well-shielded signal source generating in excess of 100 mW, and a low-noise narrow-band receiver with provision for locking the signal frequency to the center of the receiver passband.     

AM noise impact on low level phase noise measurements

The influence of the source AM noise in microwave residual phase noise experiments is investigated. The noise floor degradation problem, caused by the parasitic detection of this type of noise by an imperfectly balanced mixer, is solved thanks to a refinement of the quadrature condition. The parasitic noise contribution attributable to the AM to PM (phase modulation) conversion occurring in the device under test is minimized through the development of a dedicated microwave source featuring an AM noise level as low as -170 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset from a 3.5 GHz carrier     

VHF/UHF range bioultrasonic spectroscopy system and method

A new system and method for characterizing biological tissues in vitro and liquids in the VHF and UHF ranges is described. Bulk acoustic properties such as the sound velocity, attenuation, acoustic impedance, and density are determined in reflection and transmission modes, with the biological tissue/liquid specimen sandwiched between the parallel surfaces of synthetic silica glass buffer rods having ZnO piezoelectric film transducers on their opposite ends. The method is an ultrasonic transmission line comparison method wherein the reference medium is distilled water, for which all acoustic properties are known. Measurement errors due to diffraction losses in the acoustic media and to mode conversion at the buffer/sample interfaces are corrected. Special techniques for achieving precise parallelism between the two rod surfaces, for movement to adjust the gap distance, and for signal processing are employed in order to obtain high measurement accuracy. Attenuation and reflection coefficients are determined using the gated pulse echo method. The sound velocity is determined with the gated pulse interference method by sweeping the ultrasonic frequency, or by changing the gap distance. Results of measurements on castor oil, cottonseed oil, silicone oil, and bovine liver, in the frequency range from 10 to 500 MHz, are presented and compared with results of earlier reports     

Oscillator phase noise measurements by picosecond synchroscanstreak camera

A new method-with picosecond resolution-allowing the recording of the instantaneous time phase fluctuations of a crystal controlled oscillator is presented. The oscillator under test drives the acoustooptic modelocker of a CW Nd:YAG laser associated with a synchronously pumped dye laser. By means of a streak camera illuminated by the ps dye laser pulses and synchronized by the oscillator signal the statistics of its zero crossings is analyzed     

Measurement of static and vibration-induced phase noise in UHF thin-film resonator (TFR) filters

Measurements of the static phase noise and vibration sensitivity of thin-film resonator (TFR) filters operating at 640 and 2110 MHz have been made. They show that the short-term frequency instability of the filters is small compared with that induced in the oscillator signal by the sustaining stage amplifier PM (phase modulation) noise. In-oscillator measurement of filter performance under vibration indicates that fractional frequency vibration sensitivities (δf ₀/f₀) are on the order of several parts in 10^-9/g. Because the percentage bandwidth and order (number of poles) of the filters was fairly constant, so was the product of the center frequency and group delay. Thus, the fractional frequency vibration sensitivity of the filters can be expressed alternatively as carrier signal phase sensitivity to vibration. The τ-ω₀ product for the filters that were tested was on the order of 300 rad, so that the equivalent phase sensitivity to vibration was approximately 1 grad/g     

Field dielectric measurements of frozen silt using VHF pulses

Radiowave propagation experiments utilizing short pulses in the VHF band were conducted in the permafrost tunnel at Fox, Alaska. The purpose was to measure dielectric properties of this naturally occurring, perennially frozen organic silt which is common to much of interior Alaska and for which ice content varies between about 54 and 79% by volume. Transmissions across a septum dividing two drifts gave relative dielectric permittivity values between 3.9 and 7.3. The low values resulted when transmission was predominantly through an ice wedge. Propagation along the septum gave values of 3.3 and 5.0 depending on antenna polarization. This propagation was influenced by the dry, surface silts, as was propagation along a ceiling section, which also gave an approximate value of 3.3. The data from attempted transmissions from the ground surface directly above the tunnel to the tunnel ceiling (approximately 12 m distance) are ambiguous, as signals that propagated indirectly along the transmitter cable through a nearby ventilation shaft may or may not have masked direct transmission through the permafrost. The results agree with previous laboratory investigations conducted at temperatures well below that of naturally occurring materials in interior Alaska suggesting that winter refrigeration of the tunnel by circulated outside air greatly affected the natural conditions at this site.     

In situ occupational and general public exposure to VHF/UHF transmission for air traffic communication

Occupational and general public exposure due to very high frequency (VHF)/ultra high frequency (UHF) transmission centres for verbal communication for air traffic control is investigated in situ for the first time. These systems are used for communication with aircraft, resulting in different human exposure from that of classical broadcasting. Measurement methods are proposed for the exposure assessment, and a measurement campaign is executed in three transmission centres. By investigating the temporal behaviour of the VHF signals for 6 d, a realistic worst-case duty cycle of 29 % is determined. Periods of high exposures corresponding with high aircraft traffic are from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and in the evening. All measured electric-field values satisfy the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines. Fields vary from 0.2 to 21.1 V m(-1) for occupational exposure and from 0.007 to 8.0 V m(-1) for general public exposure. The average fields equal 5.2 V m(-1) for workers, and 0.7 V m(-1) for general public.     

Recent Advances in Broad-Band VHF and UHF Transmission Line Methods for Moisture Content and Dielectric Constant Measurement

Recent advances in VHF and UHF transmission line methods for determining either the complex permittivity or moisture content of bulky or film-like materials, or the thickness of film-like materials are discussed. These methods include TDR, CW phase, and |S21| transmission methods and employ a time-domain reflectometer (TDR), a vector voltmeter, and a network analyzer, respectively. Each technique involves monitoring the change of the transmission line parameters of a balanced open line, or of an unbalanced coaxial transmission line, when loaded with the material under test. Particular attention is given to the frequency range 10 to 1000 MHz and to broad-band methods. Experimental results are presented for several common materials, viz. concrete, asphalt, Plexiglas, moist paper, and moist soil.     

Accuracy of nonoscillating one-port noise measurements

This paper presents a detailed analysis of the accuracy of nonoscillating one-port device noise measurements. A new expression is given for the calculation of the noise temperature from parameters that can be measured directly by using either a power sensor or a noise meter with the capability of making power measurements. A general expression for the DUT noise temperature error function is also obtained, which enables the authors to study how the noise measurement accuracy is affected by a number of different factors. This expression has been found very useful in order to study how the accuracy can be improved in a given noise measurement system. The error function has been applied to evaluate the uncertainty of Schottky barrier device noise measurements     

Digital phase measurements

Translated from Izmeritel'naya Tekhnika, No. 6, pp. 33–35, June, 1988.     

相位噪声标准的研制

为解决相位噪声测量系统校准无法溯源的问题,设计一套相位噪声标准系统,把相位噪声溯源到可调高斯白噪声源上.该系统可用来测试相位噪声测量系统的准确度及其本底噪声,解决传统比对方法各相位噪声测量系统之间精度较低的问题.利用不同频点的带通滤波器对相位噪声测试系统PN9000在5,10,100 MHz频点下的相位噪声测量结果进行校准,验证方案和整套系统的准确性.     

相位噪声标准的研制

为解决相位噪声测量系统校准无法溯源的问题,设计一套相位噪声标准系统,把相位噪声溯源到可调高斯白噪声源上。该系统可用来测试相位噪声测量系统的准确度及其本底噪声,解决传统比对方法各相位噪声测量系统之间精度较低的问题。利用不同频点的带通滤波器对相位噪声测试系统PN9000在5,10,100 MHz频点下的相位噪声测量结果进行校准,验证方案和整套系统的准确性。     

Effect of losses on phase noise

Abstract

We study the effect of losses on the phase noise of single-mode field states. The losses are described by the standard loss master equation, and it is used to find an upper bound for the increase in the phase noise as a function of time. We compare the time dependence of the phase noise of an initial coherent state to that of a state that initially has very small phase noise. Both states have the same initial mean photon number. While the small-phase noise state is more susceptible to losses, the difference between its behaviour and that of the coherent state is not great.