Enhancing the noise performance of monolithic microwave integrated circuit-based low noise amplifiers through the use of a discrete preamplifying transistor

Mark A. McCulloch; Simon J. Melhuish; Lucio Piccirillo

doi:10.1117/1.JATIS.1.1.016001

28 October 2014 Enhancing the noise performance of monolithic microwave integrated circuit-based low noise amplifiers through the use of a discrete preamplifying transistor

Mark A. McCulloch, Simon J. Melhuish, Lucio Piccirillo

Author Affiliations +

Funded by: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Science Technology Facilities Council

Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, Vol. 1, Issue 1, 016001 (October 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JATIS.1.1.016001

Abstract

An approach to enhancing the noise performance of an InP monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC)-based low noise amplifiers (LNA) through the use of a discrete 100-nm gate length InP high electron mobility transistor is outlined. This LNA, known as a transistor in front of MMIC (T + MMIC) LNA, possesses a gain in excess of 40 dB and an average noise temperature of 9.4 K across the band 27 to 33 GHz at a physical temperature of 8 K. This compares favorably with 14.5 K for an LNA containing an equivalent MMIC. A simple advanced design system model offering further insights into the operation of the LNA is also presented and the LNA is compared with the current state-of-the-art Planck LFI LNAs.

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Mark A. McCulloch, Simon J. Melhuish, and Lucio Piccirillo "Enhancing the noise performance of monolithic microwave integrated circuit-based low noise amplifiers through the use of a discrete preamplifying transistor," Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems 1(1), 016001 (28 October 2014). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JATIS.1.1.016001

Published: 28 October 2014

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