High-sensitivity receiver systems for use with RF and THz radio telescopes and commercial systems

拟议的研究将在申请者优势的基础上，扩大以前开始的研究，并走上一条新的研究道路。第一个研究目标是在过去成功的基础上，展示在低GHz频率范围内工作的高灵敏度、完全集成的宽带平方公里阵列(SKA)接收器。建议的研究将继续申请人先前的工作，通过研究直接采样高增益SKA接收机的其他基本组件的实现，如抗混叠滤波器、可变增益放大器和校准功率检测器。一旦配备了额外的电路，还将研究增加一个光学数据传输系统，该系统也将通过采用基于时间的ADC架构作为ADC。这个完整的接收器将被放置在一个“厚”的Vivaldi天线中，并将成为一个非常独特的系统，将RF宽带接收信号转换为数字化的光输出。还计划通过开发高端GPS接收器来展示高灵敏度接收器的商业潜力，该接收器配备了与接收器前端共同设计的新型低噪声ESD电路。作为第二个研究目标的一部分，将开发一种独特的变频电路噪声参数测量系统，以更深入地了解变频电路的噪声性能，并为其噪声最小化提供设计指南。第三个研究目标是为智利的Cerro Chajnantor阿塔卡马望远镜(CCAT)开发全集成低温460 GHz和830 GHz接收器。这项工作将分为几个项目，包括437.5 GHz基波压控振荡器、437.5 GHz和830 GHz分频器的设计，437.5 GHz压控振荡器、460 GHz和415 GHz混频器的锁相环设计，22.5 GHz低噪声放大器和中频基带转换器的设计。

The proposed research will build on applicant's strengths by expanding the previously started research and embarking on a new research path. The first research objective, which builds on the past success, is to demonstrate highly sensitive, fully integrated, wideband Square Kilometre Array (SKA) receiver operating at low GHz frequency range. The proposed research will continue applicant's prior work by investigating the implementations of other essential components of the direct-sampling high-gain SKA receiver, such as an anti-aliasing filter, a variable gain amplifier and a calibrated power detector. Once furnished with the additional circuitry, an investigation of adding an optical data transfer system, which will also serve as the ADC by employing a time-based ADC architecture, will also be conducted. This complete receiver will be placed inside a "thick" Vivaldi antenna and will become a very unique system that converts RF broad-band received signal to a digitized optical output. A demonstration of commercial potentials of the highly sensitive receivers are also planned with a development of a high-end GPS receiver equipped with novel low-noise ESD circuitry that is co-designed with the receiver front-end. A proof-of-concept GPS receiver will be designed to validate its characteristics experimentally.A unique noise parameter measurement system for frequency conversion circuits will be developed, as part of the second research objective, to gain a deeper understanding of noise performance of frequency conversion circuits and provide us with design guidelines for their noise minimization.The third research objective is the development of fully integrated cryogenic 460GHz and 830GHz receivers for Cerro Chajnantor Atacama Telescope (CCAT) in Chile. The work will be broken into a number of projects consisting of a design of a fundamental 437.5GHz VCO, 437.5GHz and 830GHz frequency dividers, a phase-locked loop for the 437.5GHz VCO, 460GHz and 415GHz mixers, 22.5GHz LNA and IF-to-based band converter.