Very High Sensitivity Heterodyne Detection of X-Band Radiation with Neon Indicator Lamps

Yaakov Makover; Oded R. Manor; N. S. Kopeika

doi:10.1109/TMTT.1978.1129304

Very High Sensitivity Heterodyne Detection of X-Band Radiation with Neon Indicator Lamps

Yaakov Makover, Oded R. Manor, N. S. Kopeika

Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Very high sensitivity with simple inexpensive commercial neon glow lamps designed for indicator-lamp applications is observed at X band in synchronous detection. Typical minimum detectable signals with 10-nW-order local-oscillator powers are 10⁻¹⁷ W · Hz⁻¹ or lower. This is equivalent to 10⁻²² W · Hz⁻¹ with 1-mW local-oscillator power. As such lamps can be used without damage in high microwave fields, they can be used in principle with appropriate local-oscillator power levels to reach ideal microwave noise equivalent power (NEP) limits. The low NEP and noise figure result from the high responsivities of such devices which are due to high internal signal gain. Experimental results correlate well with the enhanced-ionization collision-rate detection model.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	38-43
Number of pages	6
Journal	IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
Volume	26
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.1978.1129304
State	Published - 1 Jan 1978

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Radiation
Condensed Matter Physics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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title = "Very High Sensitivity Heterodyne Detection of X-Band Radiation with Neon Indicator Lamps",

abstract = "Very high sensitivity with simple inexpensive commercial neon glow lamps designed for indicator-lamp applications is observed at X band in synchronous detection. Typical minimum detectable signals with 10-nW-order local-oscillator powers are 10−17 W · Hz−1 or lower. This is equivalent to 10−22 W · Hz−1 with 1-mW local-oscillator power. As such lamps can be used without damage in high microwave fields, they can be used in principle with appropriate local-oscillator power levels to reach ideal microwave noise equivalent power (NEP) limits. The low NEP and noise figure result from the high responsivities of such devices which are due to high internal signal gain. Experimental results correlate well with the enhanced-ionization collision-rate detection model.",

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AU - Manor, Oded R.

AU - Kopeika, N. S.

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Y1 - 1978/1/1

N2 - Very high sensitivity with simple inexpensive commercial neon glow lamps designed for indicator-lamp applications is observed at X band in synchronous detection. Typical minimum detectable signals with 10-nW-order local-oscillator powers are 10−17 W · Hz−1 or lower. This is equivalent to 10−22 W · Hz−1 with 1-mW local-oscillator power. As such lamps can be used without damage in high microwave fields, they can be used in principle with appropriate local-oscillator power levels to reach ideal microwave noise equivalent power (NEP) limits. The low NEP and noise figure result from the high responsivities of such devices which are due to high internal signal gain. Experimental results correlate well with the enhanced-ionization collision-rate detection model.

AB - Very high sensitivity with simple inexpensive commercial neon glow lamps designed for indicator-lamp applications is observed at X band in synchronous detection. Typical minimum detectable signals with 10-nW-order local-oscillator powers are 10−17 W · Hz−1 or lower. This is equivalent to 10−22 W · Hz−1 with 1-mW local-oscillator power. As such lamps can be used without damage in high microwave fields, they can be used in principle with appropriate local-oscillator power levels to reach ideal microwave noise equivalent power (NEP) limits. The low NEP and noise figure result from the high responsivities of such devices which are due to high internal signal gain. Experimental results correlate well with the enhanced-ionization collision-rate detection model.

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Very High Sensitivity Heterodyne Detection of X-Band Radiation with Neon Indicator Lamps

Abstract

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