Ultra-low noise L-band cryogenic astronomical receiver for the FAST telescope

This paper presents an ultra-low noise L-band radio astronomical cryogenic receiver for the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) telescope. The development of key low noise microwave parts of coupling low noise amplifier (Coupling-LNA) and conical quad-ridge orthogonal mode t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research in astronomy and astrophysics 2021-08, Vol.21 (7), p.182-280
Main Authors: Liu, Hong-Fei, He, Chuan, Wang, Jin, Jiang, Peng, Wang, Sheng-Wang, Wu, Yang, Zhang, Hang, Song, Jin-You, Shi, Xiang-Wei, Guo, Ming-Lei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
analytical
Antenna radiation patterns
Apertures
Calibration
Coupling
Frequency ranges
L-band receivers
Low noise
Noise
Noise temperature
observational
Radiation
Radio telescopes
Receivers & amplifiers
Telescopes
Transducers
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Summary:This paper presents an ultra-low noise L-band radio astronomical cryogenic receiver for the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) telescope. The development of key low noise microwave parts of coupling low noise amplifier (Coupling-LNA) and conical quad-ridge orthogonal mode transducers (OMT) and reasonable system integration achieve outstanding performance of receiver. It covers the frequency range of 1.2 GHz to 1.8 GHz. Novel cryogenic Coupling-LNAs with low noise, large return loss, high dynamic range and the function of coupling calibration signals are developed for the proposed receiver. Amplification and coupling function circuits are integrated as a single Coupling-LNA with full noise temperature of 4 K at the physical temperature of 15 K. Its return loss is more than 18 dB, and output 1 dB compression power is +5 dBm. A cryogenic dewar is fabricated to provide 55 K and 15 K cryogenic environment for OMT and Coupling-LNAs, respectively. The receiver’s system noise temperature is below 9 K referred to feed aperture plane. Benefiting from optimal design and precise mechanical treatment, good scattering performance of OMT and equalized radiation patterns of horn are achieved with an antenna efficiency above 75%.
ISSN:1674-4527
DOI:10.1088/1674-4527/21/7/182