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Lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs) based on sawtooth inductors for W -band are presented in this article. A careful analysis is carried out for the cross-polarization in the inductor geometry, which brings out the absorption of the nondesired E -field component of an incident wave plane. The proposed inductor geometry with sawtooth sections demonstrates improved cross-polarization. The analytical results are verified by comparison with 3-D electromagnetic (EM) simulations. As the first proof of concept, W -band optical response is demonstrated through quasioptical characterization at room temperature of an aluminum LEKID array. Moreover, a LEKID array based on bilayer superconducting titanium/aluminum (Ti/Al) thin film is developed for evaluating the performance at millikelvin temperatures. Darkness characterization confirms the high-quality factor of the fabricated detectors and the low-frequency design reliability. In addition, cryogenic optical experiments are performed for spectroscopic and detector sensitivity characterization. The proposed geometry opens the possibility of developing large-format polarimetric cameras based on on-chip LEKID structures for future astronomical experiments.

We present the catalogue of Q-U-I JOint TEnerife (QUIJOTE) Wide Survey radio sources extracted from the maps of the Multi-Frequency Instrument compiled between 2012 and 2018. The catalogue contains 786 sources observed in intensity and polarization, and is divided into two separate sub-catalogues: one containing 47 bright sources previously studied by the Planck collaboration and an extended catalogue of 739 sources either selected from the Planck Second Catalogue of Compact Sources or found through a blind search carried out with a Mexican Hat 2 wavelet. A significant fraction of the sources in our catalogue (38.7 per cent) are within the |b| ≤ 20° region of the Galactic plane. We determine statistical properties for those sources that are likely to be extragalactic. We find that these statistical properties are compatible with currently available models, with a ∼1.8 Jy completeness limit at 11 GHz. We provide the polarimetric properties of (38, 33, 31, 23) sources with P detected above the significance level at (11, 13, 17, 19) GHz respectively. Median polarization fractions are in the 2.8–4.7 per cent range in the 11–19 GHz frequency interval. We do not distinguish between Galactic and extragalactic sources here. The results presented here are consistent with those reported in the literature for flat- and steep-spectrum radio sources.

The QUIJOTE (Q-U-I joint Tenerife) experiment combines the operation of two radio-telescopes and three instruments working in the microwave bands 10–20 GHz, 26–36 GHz and 35–47 GHz at the Teide Observatory, Tenerife, and has already been presented in previous SPIE meetings (Hoyland, R. J. et al, 2012; Rubi˜no-Mart´ın et al., 2012). The Cosmology group at the IAC have designed a new upgrade to the MFI instrument in the band 10–20 GHz. The aim of the QUIJOTE telescopes is to characterise the polarised emission of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), as well as galactic and extra-galactic sources, at medium and large angular scales. This MFI2 will continue the survey at even higher sensitivity levels. The MFI2 project led by the Instituto de Astrof´ısica de Canarias (IAC) consists of five polarimeters, three of them operating in the sub-band 10–15 GHz, and two in the sub-band 15–20 GHz. The MFI2 instrument is expected to be a full two–three times more sensitive than the former MFI. The microwave complex correlator design has been replaced by a simple correlator design with a digital back-end based on the latest Xilinx FPGAs (ZCU111). During the first half of 2019 the manufacture of the new cryostat was completed and since then the opto-mechanical components have been designed and manufactured. It is expected that the cryogenic front-end will be completed by the end of 2022 along with the FPGA acquisition and observing system. This digital system has been employed to be more robust against stray ground-based and satellite interference, having a frequency resolution of 1 MHz.

This paper presents a 10 to 20 GHz bandwidth microwave polarimeter demonstrator, based on the implementation of a near-infra-red frequency up-conversion stage that allows both the optical correlation, when operating as a synthesized-image interferometer, and signal detection, when operating as a direct-image instrument. The proposed idea is oriented towards the implementation of ultra-sensitive instruments presenting several dozens or even thousands of microwave receivers operating in the lowest bands of the cosmic microwave background. In this work, an electro-optical back-end module replaces the usual microwave detection stage with Mach–Zehnder modulators for the frequency up-conversion, and an optical stage for the signals correlation and detection at near-infra-red wavelengths (1550 nm). As interferometer, the instrument is able to correlate the signals of large-format instruments, while operating as a direct imaging instrument also presents advantages in terms of the possibility of implementing the optical back end by means of photonic integrated circuits to achieve reductions in cost, weight, size, and power consumption. A linearly polarized input wave, with a variable polar angle, is used as a signal source for laboratory tests. The receiver demonstrator has proved its capabilities of being used as a new microwave-photonic polarimeter for the study of the lowest bands of cosmic microwave background.

Thermal capacitances are required to describe the fast dynamic thermal behavior in the silicon-on- insulator (SOI) devices. This article presents a physical model based on the ac technique, together with the characteristic thermal frequency determination through the frequency response of the output conductance, for calculating the thermal capacitance of single-finger and multi-finger SOI-MOSFETs. The model accounts for the total gate width and substrate temperature, making evident the augmented thermal coupling when multi- fingers are used. The thermal capacitances and the corresponding time constants, extracted from a variety of gate widths and number of fingers, are correctly predicted up to a substrate temperature of 150 degrees C.

[EN] Substrate integrated circuits (SIC) have attracted much attention in the last years because of their great potential of low cost, easy manufacturing, integration in a circuit board, and higher-quality factor than planar circuits. A first suite of SIC where the waves propagate through dielectric have been first developed, based on the well-known substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) and related technological implementations. One step further has been made with a new suite of empty substrate integrated waveguides, where the waves propagate through air, thus reducing the associated losses. This is the case of the empty substrate integrated waveguide (ESIW) or the air-filled substrate integrated waveguide (air-filled SIW). However, all these SIC are H plane structures, so classical H plane solutions in rectangular waveguides have already been mapped to most of these new SIC. In this paper a novel E plane empty substrate integrated waveguide (ESIW-E) is presented. This structure allows to easily map classical E plane solutions in rectangular waveguide to this new substrate integrated solution. It is similar to the ESIW, although more layers are needed to build the structure. A wideband transition (covering the frequency range between 33 GHz and 50 GHz) from microstrip to ESIW-E is designed and manufactured. Measurements are successfully compared with simulation, proving the validity of this new SIC. A broadband high-frequency phase shifter (for operation from 35 GHz to 47 GHz) is successfully implemented in ESIW-E, thus proving the good performance of this new SIC in a practical application.

This paper presents preliminary polarization measurements and systematic-error characterization of the Thirty Gigahertz Instrument receiver developed for the QUIJOTE experiment. The instrument has been designed to measure the polarization of Cosmic Microwave Background radiation from the sky, obtaining the Q, U, and I Stokes parameters of the incoming signal simultaneously. Two kinds of linearly polarized input signals have been used as excitations in the polarimeter measurement tests in the laboratory; these show consistent results in terms of the Stokes parameters obtained. A measurement-based systematic-error characterization technique has been used in order to determine the possible sources of instrumental errors and to assist in the polarimeter calibration process.

This paper presents the analysis, design, and characterization of the thirty gigahertz instrument receiver developed for the Q-U-I Joint Tenerife experiment. The receiver is aimed to obtain polarization data of the cosmic microwave background radiation from the sky, obtaining the Q, U, and I Stokes parameters of the incoming signal simultaneously. A comprehensive analysis of the theory behind the proposed receiver is presented for a linearly polarized input signal, and the functionality tests have demonstrated adequate results in terms of Stokes parameters, which validate the concept of the receiver based on electronic phase switching.

The QUIJOTE-CMB project has been described in previous publications. Here we present the current status of the QUIJOTE multi-frequency instrument (MFI) with five separate polarimeters (providing 5 independent sky pixels): two which operate at 10-14 GHz, two which operate at 16-20 GHz, and a central polarimeter at 30 GHz. The optical arrangement includes 5 conical corrugated feedhorns staring into a dual reflector crossed-draconian system, which provides optimal cross-polarization properties (designed to be < −35 dB) and symmetric beams. Each horn feeds a novel cryogenic on-axis rotating polar modulator which can rotate at a speed of up to 1 Hz. The science driver for this first instrument is the characterization of the galactic emission. The polarimeters use the polar modulator to derive linear polar parameters Q, U and I and switch out various systematics. The detection system provides optimum sensitivity through 2 correlated and 2 total power channels. The system is calibrated using bright polarized celestial sources and through a secondary calibration source and antenna. The acquisition system, telescope control and housekeeping are all linked through a real-time gigabit Ethernet network. All communication, power and helium gas are passed through a central rotary joint. The time stamp is synchronized to a GPS time signal. The acquisition software is based on PLCs written in Beckhoffs TwinCat and ethercat. The user interface is written in LABVIEW. The status of the QUIJOTE MFI will be presented including pre-commissioning results and laboratory testing.

The QUIJOTE (Q-U-I JOint Tenerife) CMB Experiment will operate at the Teide Observatory with the aim of characterizing the polarisation of the CMB and other processes of Galactic and extragalactic emission in the frequency range of 10–40 GHz and at large and medium angular scales. The first of the two QUIJOTE telescopes and the first multi-frequency (10–30 GHz) instrument are already built and have been tested in the laboratory. QUIJOTE-CMB will be a valuable complement at low frequencies for the Planck mission, and will have the required sensitivity to detect a primordial gravitational-wave component if the tensor-to-scalar ratio is larger than r = 0.05.

An array of bow-tie slot antennas coupled through an extended hemispherical lens is proposed to operate in the 30 GHz frequency band. The design includes a combination of three microstrip Wilkinson power dividers (WPD) and transitions to coplanar wave guides (CPW) to form the feeding antenna network. This configuration is suitable for the integration with heterodyne imaging detectors commonly used in radioastronomy. Measurements and simulation results exhibit a frequency range of operation from 20 to 40 GHz with a bandwidth of 24% achieved for -10 dB return loss at the central frequency. The measured radiation patterns show a maximum peak gain of around 13 dB with HPBW of 10° for the E-plane, and whose first side lobes are lower than 13 dB below the main lobe in both angular shift sides. The presented results will be considered as preliminary feasibility studies in the 30 GHz QUIJOTE-CMB Instrument, which is designed to study the anisotropies of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Based on frequency-domain system-identification techniques combined with an optimal model-order selection, this modeling method efficiently simulates microwave radiometers. A broadband microwave receiver (with astronomical applications) is modeled and simulated to illustrate the technique. This particular receiver is a challenging case because it samples cosmic microwave background (CMB) low-power broadband (10-gigahertz) signals over a long period.

This paper describes a comparative nonlinear analysis of low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) under different stimuli for use in astronomical applications. Wide-band Gaussian-noise input signals, together with the high values of gain required, make that figures of merit, such as the 1 dB compression (1 dBc) point of amplifiers, become crucial in the design process of radiometric receivers in order to guarantee the linearity in their nominal operation. The typical method to obtain the 1 dBc point is by using single-tone excitation signals to get the nonlinear amplitude to amplitude (AM-AM) characteristic but, as will be shown in the paper, in radiometers, the nature of the wide-band Gaussian-noise excitation signals makes the amplifiers present higher nonlinearity than when using single tone excitation signals. Therefore, in order to analyze the suitability of the LNA’s nominal operation, the 1 dBc point has to be obtained, but using realistic excitation signals. In this work, an analytical study of compression effects in amplifiers due to excitation signals composed of several tones is reported. Moreover, LNA nonlinear characteristics, as AM-AM, total distortion, and power to distortion ratio, have been obtained by simulation and measurement with wide-band Gaussian-noise excitation signals. This kind of signal can be considered as a limit case of a multitone signal, when the number of tones is very high. The work is illustrated by means of the extraction of realistic nonlinear characteristics, through simulation and measurement, of a 31 GHz back-end module LNA used in the radiometer of the QUIJOTE (Q U I JOint TEnerife) CMB experiment.

Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

Los circuitos integrados monolíticos de microondas presentan ventajas potenciales respecto de los circuitos híbridos habituales en cuanto a fiabilidad, reducido tamaño y peso, banda ancha y bajo coste. Se describe el estado actual y desarrollo en los últimos años, los aspectos tecnológicos de diseño y fabricación, las aplicaciones y los productos comerciales existentes., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

In this paper, the design of a Microstrip Test Fixture for TRL calibration is described. Experimental results for S-parameters measurement of a GaAs FET chip in the 3-22 GHz frequency range are presented. Repeatability of connections and measurements is discussed and experimental results are also presented ., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

A system which combines the properties of the PLL systems and the injection locking ones is described. Its theoretical behaviour is analysed and some practical applications are discussed. Its performance in these aplications has been verified at the laboratory and sorne results are given., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

The design guidelines for a coherent receiver for the Olympus propagation experiment at 12.5, 20 and 30 GHz are discussed. The receiver channels can be locked to a main PLL in the 12.5 GHz channel, thus decreasing the loss of lock probability. Technical aspects concerning the implementation of the RF front-end using coherent local oscillators are also considered., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

The requirements of large pull-in range and short acquisition time in microwave and millimeter wave phase locked oscillators are of great importance since the free running VCO frequency may be sorne tens of MHz off the reference frequency. A substantial improvement can be obtained by injection-locking the V.C.O. to the reference signal; as a result, the V.C.O behaviour changes to a phase controlled fixed frequency oscillator, giving a reduction by one in the system order. Then, frequency acquisition is performed by the injection-locking process, and phase tracking is made by the P.L.l. system. We present experimental comparisons between a microwave P.l.l. system operating at 11 GHz, with an without injection-locking synchronization., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)

The design and performance of a 30-GHz mixer is presented. The mixer is to be used in the RF front end of an earth station for the OPEX experiment with the propagation beacons of the ESA's Olympus satellite. It uses a balanced approach in fin-line technology. Both the RF and OL ports are in waveguide·, which has required in particular the design of a waveguide/microstrip/edge-coupled fin-line transition for the OL injection. A conversion loss below 7.5 dB has been achieved in the 28-33 GHz frequency range ., Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)