Microwave properties of Yttrium Vanadate at cryogenic temperatures

TL;DR

This study measures the microwave dielectric properties of Yttrium Vanadate at cryogenic temperatures, revealing its potential as a cost-effective alternative to sapphire in microwave devices.

Contribution

First measurement of YVO4's complex permittivity at 25 GHz and cryogenic temperatures, providing data for its use in microwave applications.

Findings

Real part of permittivity similar to sapphire

Loss tangent around 10^(-6) at cryogenic temperatures

YVO4 is easy to synthesize and machine

Abstract

Yttrium Vanadate (YVO4) is a birefringent crystal material used in optical isolators and circulators with potentials for application in cryogenic microwave devices. As microwave properties of the YVO4 are not known, we measured the complex permittivity at the frequency of 25 GHz, using the Hakki-Coleman dielectric resonator technique in the temperature range from 13 K to 80 K. The real part of relative permittivity of YVO4 turned out to be similar to that of Sapphire - one of popular dielectric materials, used at microwave frequencies. The measured loss tangent tang {\delta} of the YVO4 was of the order of 10^(-6) at cryogenic temperatures. As Yttrium Vanadate (YVO4) is easy to synthesis and machine, it may replace the expensive Sapphire in some microwave applications.