An all solid-state 330 GHz frequency multiplying Chain for 664 GHz radiometers application

Abstract

ABSTRACTAn all solid-state 330 GHz ×6 × 2 × 2 frequency multiplying chain is constructed and tested and it is used as a local oscillator (LO) in 664 GHz radiometers for cirrus clouds and cloud ice detecting. The frequency multiplying chain consists of a W-band sextupler, followed by a power-combined amplifier which delivers 460–540 mW output power, and two cascaded 165 GHz and 330 GHz balanced frequency doublers. The 165 GHz two-ways power-combined doubler applies four three-anode in series GaAs Schottky diodes to generate 50–63 mW output power in the frequency range 160–176 GHz, and its tested typical efficiency is 11.5%. The cascaded 330 GHz doubler uses a four-anode in anti-series arranged GaAs diode to generate 2.5–4.5 mW output power in the frequency range 320–352 GHz, and its tested typical efficiency is 6.0% and the maximum value is 8.0% at 328 GHz. The output power of the multiplying chain is high enough to pump the 664 GHz heterodyne radiometer for space application.