Outside the bandwidth: noisemanship - the art of measuring noise figures nearly independent of device performance

Abstract

Almost everyone who has measured the noise performance of a sensitive amplifier or converter has found it possible to read noise-figure values considerably lower or higher than expected. The more exacting experimenters among us have refined their measurement techniques to eliminate such ambiguities and can even obtain accurate noise-figure values for the new, exotic, negative-resistance devices such as parametric amplifiers, masers, and tunnel diode amplifiers and converters. However, as yet, only a few astute practitioners have recognized the tremendous practical value of being able to read noise-figure values much lower or higher than actual.