Heterodyne Noise Measurements Of A Microstrip, Waveguide Local Oscillator Modulator

Steven A. Davidson; Richard S. Eng; Jenifer L. Bunis; Elaine R. Parshall

doi:10.1117/12.960555

13 September 1989 Heterodyne Noise Measurements Of A Microstrip, Waveguide Local Oscillator Modulator

Steven A. Davidson, Richard S. Eng, Jenifer L. Bunis, Elaine R. Parshall

Proceedings Volume 1103, Laser Radar IV; (1989) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.960555
Event: SPIE 1989 Technical Symposium on Aerospace Sensing, 1989, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

Sidebands imposed on the output of a stable CO2 laser have been heterodyne mixed (on a 77K HgCdTe detector) with blackbody emission and alternately with radiation from a stable laser oscillator. The sidebands are generated upon passage of the beam from the laser through an electro-optic modulator consisting of: A GaAs waveguide structure (prism coupled) which has been etched with a 1 mm wide microwave microstrip transmission circuit - designed for use in the 12-18 GHz range - through which propagates the output from a traveling wave tube amplifier (TWTA). We have found that the heterodyne signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) depends in large part on the quality of the TWTA, and only under a unique set of circumstances can the theoretical limit for the ideal SNR (ηPr/hvB) be approached.

Citation Download Citation

Steven A. Davidson, Richard S. Eng, Jenifer L. Bunis, and Elaine R. Parshall "Heterodyne Noise Measurements Of A Microstrip, Waveguide Local Oscillator Modulator", Proc. SPIE 1103, Laser Radar IV, (13 September 1989); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.960555

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