Superconducting electromagnetic wave mixers and superconducting electromagnetic wave mixing apparatus using the same

摘要

PURPOSE:To electrically combine a junction which serves as a local oscillator and another junction which serves as a receiver together with an insulator or a conductor to form an electromagnetic wave mixer which is small in size and simple in structure by a method wherein the local oscillator and the receiver of a superconductive electromagnetic wave mixer are formed using Josephson junctions formed of superconductive oxide. CONSTITUTION:In a planar type superconductive electromagnetic wave mixer, two Josephson junctions 6 and 7 formed using the grain boundary of a superconductive oxide thin film 5 formed on a board 4 are made to serve as a local oscillator and a receiver respectively, and the local oscillator and the receiver are disposed in an array on the board 4 through the intermediary of an insulator 8. Therefore, a local oscillation wave can be generated in the same closed space as an incoming electromagnetic wave introducing section, so that a mixer of this design can be improved in mixing efficiency. That is, the propagation of an electromagnetic wave to a receiver can be improved in efficiency. Moreover, a local oscillator can be decreased in output power, therefore heat introduced due to Joule heat can be decreased, and a device can be decreased in power consumption and made small in size as a whole.