Investigation of the performance of an SIS mixer with Nb-AlN-NbN tunnel junctions in the 780–950 GHz frequency band

In this paper, we present preliminary measured performance of an SIS mixer employing a Nb/AIN/NbN tunnel junction in the frequency range of 780–950 GHz range. The mixer design is an upgrade of the Carbon Heterodyne Array of the Max-Planck-Institute Plus (CHAMP+) mixer, coupled with an easy to fabricate smooth-walled horn. The noise temperature of the mixer is measured using the standard Y-factor method, but all the RF optics is enclosed in the cryostat. We use a rotating mirror in the cryostat to switch between a room temperature load and a 4 K blackbody load. With this method, we have measured a noise temperature of 330 K around 850 GHz, corrected for a mismatch between a reduced height rectangular waveguide at the input of the mixer block and a full height waveguide at the output of the horn. To remove this mismatch we now plan to redesign a new mixer chip with a full-height waveguide backpiece. The expected performance of the new mixer chip is also reported.