Development of a thermoelectrically cooled parametric amplifier for ground station applications at 10.95 to 11.8 GHz

A prototype model of an amplifier system for satellite ground station applications in the superhigh frequency range was fabricated. For the design concept, high reliability, gain stability, ease in operation and maintenance as well as a broad bandwidth and low noise characteristics were investigated. The basic model of the amplifier unit consisted of a two stage, parametric amplifier. The first stage was cooled to 258 K, while the second was a field effect transistor post amplifier. The parametric amplifier stages were pumped at 51.5 GHz with the aid of Gunn oscillators. All assemblies were mounted in a hermetically tight thermostat enclosure and were rigorously temperature stabilized. Electrical measurement results show a frequency range of 10.95 to 11.7 GHz, a bandwidth (-1 dB) ACH-110A or = 750 MHz, a gain of 52 dB, a gain variation ACH-76A or = 1.4 dB(ss), a noise temperature of 140 K max and 120 K mini, and a gain stability over 10 min ACH-76A or = 0.04 dB(ss) and over 24 hr, ACH-76A or = 0.2 dB(ss).