Compact Dual-Polarization Schottky Barrier Diode Receivers for Submillimeter Wave Remote Sensing

TL;DR

This paper presents compact, dual-polarization heterodyne receivers operating at 325, 424, and 650 GHz with high polarization isolation and low noise temperatures, suitable for submillimeter remote sensing.

Contribution

The work introduces an integrated dual-polarization receiver design with optimized probes, low-noise amplifiers, and a shared LO, achieving high polarization isolation and stability at multiple submillimeter frequencies.

Findings

Achieved maximum cross-polarization isolation of up to 34 dB.

Measured receiver noise temperatures below 900 K at 315 and 421 GHz.

Demonstrated stability with an Allan time exceeding 10 seconds.

Abstract

Dual-polarization heterodyne receivers operating at 325 GHz, 424 GHz, and 650 GHz at room temperature are presented. Polarimetric measurements are enabled by two orthogonal open-ended E-field probes, co-optimized and integrated with two subharmonic GaAs Schottky-barrier diode mixers. The down-converted signals (IF) are amplified using low-noise InP HEMT amplifiers integrated into the receiver module, along with IF matching networks, dc-bias boards, a shared local oscillator (LO) distribution network, and a single smooth-walled, conical, spline-horn antenna. Maximum cross-polarization isolation of 25 dB, 34 dB, and 25 dB was achieved at 315 GHz, 421 GHz, and 650 GHz, respectively. The measured double-sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperatures are 833 K, 835 K, and 1623 K at 315 GHz, 421 GHz, and 630 GHz, respectively. Stability measurements, with an integration Allan time of more than 10 s, were obtained for all receivers. Overall, the integrated dualpolarization receiver topology achieves excellent sensitivity in a highly compact package, offering an efficient and scalable solution for polarimetric applications in submillimeter-wave remote sensing