Superconducting filtering coupling amplification assembly applied to deep space exploration receiver system

Abstract

The invention discloses a superconducting filtering coupling amplification assembly applied to a deep space exploration receiver system. The superconducting filtering coupling amplification assembly comprises a box body; the box body is divided into a first cavity and a second cavity which are mutually independent through a partition plate; a superconducting filtering coupling circuit is mounted in the first cavity; a low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit is mounted in the second cavity; the signal output end of the superconducting filtering coupling circuit is connected with the signal input end of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit through a bridging gold wire; the superconducting filter coupling circuit comprises a superconducting filter and a superconducting coupler which are integrated on the same dielectric substrate; the low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit comprises a low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip and an amplifier biasing circuit which are integrated on the same microwave substrate. According to the invention, high-frequency-selection suppression filtering and low-noise receiving amplification of received signals can be realized, a calibration signal injection function is realized, and the amplifier is suitable for various microwave circuits, and is especially suitable for application scenes with extreme noise control requirements, such as a deep space exploration receiver and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of special components, specifically to a superconducting filter coupling amplifier component used in a deep space exploration receiver system. Background Technology

[0002] In astronomical observation scenarios, the received signals are extremely weak. To improve the sensitivity of the receiving system, cryogenic receivers are widely used in the industry. The key component in a cryogenic receiver is the cryogenic low-noise amplifier, whose core function is to amplify the weak signal while meeting extremely low noise requirements. Simultaneously, to suppress external interference signals from mobile communications, radio, and other sources, a near-zero insertion loss superconducting filter is also required for interference suppression. Furthermore, in practical applications, a calibration coupling port needs to be designed for calibrating the input signal to ensure reception accuracy.

[0003] However, in existing deep space receivers, superconducting filters, coupling circuits, and cryogenic amplifiers are mostly discrete structures. The signal coupling circuit is typically designed discretely or integrated before the input of the cryogenic low-noise amplifier circuit. This design has significant drawbacks: firstly, the coupling circuit itself introduces additional system noise; secondly, the discrete structure results in multiple signal connection nodes, leading not only to insertion loss ≥1dB but also to the superposition of additional noise, ultimately raising the system noise temperature to above 15K, which cannot meet the reception requirements of weak deep space signals (such as those at the -120dBm level).

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a superconducting filter coupling amplifier for use in deep space exploration receiver systems, in order to overcome the bottlenecks caused by the discrete structure in the existing technology, such as high loss, high noise, and insufficient coupling accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a superconducting filter coupling amplification component for use in deep space exploration receiver systems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A superconducting filter-coupled amplification component for use in a deep space exploration receiver system, the amplification component comprising: The housing is divided into a first cavity and a second cavity by a partition. A superconducting filter coupling circuit is installed in the first cavity. A low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit is installed in the second cavity. The signal output terminal of the superconducting filter coupling circuit is connected to the signal input terminal of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit through a gold jumper wire. The superconducting filter coupling circuit includes a superconducting filter and a superconducting coupler integrated on the same dielectric substrate, and the output terminal of the superconducting filter is connected to the input terminal of the superconducting coupler. The low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit includes a low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip and an amplifier bias circuit integrated on the same microwave substrate; the output terminal of the amplifier bias circuit is electrically connected to the bias pin of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip to provide a working bias signal for the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip.

[0007] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a superconducting thin film is provided on the front side of the dielectric substrate, and a metal coating is provided on the back side; the output end of the superconducting filter and the input end of the superconducting coupler are directly connected through the superconducting thin film on the dielectric substrate. The dielectric substrate is a magnesium oxide or lanthanum aluminate substrate; the superconducting thin film is a high-temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-Δ thin film; the superconducting filter and the superconducting coupler are both formed by etching the high-temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-Δ thin film covering the front side of the dielectric substrate; the metal coating consists of a high-temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-Δ thin film covering the back side of the dielectric substrate and a gold film covering the surface of the thin film, and the metal coating is completely preserved and serves as a common ground plane; The superconducting filter coupling circuit is soldered to the bottom of the housing via an indium sheet.

[0008] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit is soldered to the bottom of the housing with gold-tin solder; the signal input terminal of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip is electrically connected to the signal output terminal of the superconducting filter in the superconducting filter coupling circuit through a gold-plated interconnect line; the amplifier bias circuit is fixedly electrically connected to the bias pin of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip through a gold-plated interconnect line disposed on the microwave substrate.

[0009] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, an input interface is installed through the first cavity; the input interface is connected to the superconducting filter through a gold bridging wire.

[0010] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, an output interface is installed through the second cavity; the output interface is connected to the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip through a gold jumper wire.

[0011] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a bias interface is installed through the second cavity; the bias interface is connected to the amplifier bias circuit.

[0012] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a coupling interface and a load interface are installed on the first cavity; The superconducting filter coupling circuit is soldered to the bottom of the housing via an indium sheet and connected to the coupling interface and load interface via a gold bridging wire.

[0013] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the coupling degree of the superconducting coupler is determined by the design specifications; the coupling degree of the superconducting coupler is controlled by the microstrip line coupling distance.

[0014] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the superconducting filter coupling circuit uses magnesium oxide as a substrate. High-temperature superconducting thin films are sputtered on both sides of the substrate, and gold films are sputtered in situ on the high-temperature superconducting thin films. The high-temperature superconducting thin film and the gold film on one side are completely retained as the ground plane, while the input / output interface part on the other side is a gold film, and the rest is a high-temperature superconducting thin film.

[0015] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the surface of the box is plated with gold.

[0016] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the load interface is connected to an external 50-ohm load.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are: The core innovation of the superconducting filter-coupled amplification component described in this invention lies in integrating the coupling circuit and the superconducting filter into a single circuit. It is not a simple superposition of existing devices, but rather a performance breakthrough achieved through structural synergy and material optimization. Compared to conventional coupling circuits, the coupling circuit of this invention, made of a high-temperature superconducting thin film, not only significantly reduces dielectric loss but also substantially reduces insertion loss, thereby lowering receiver system noise and improving receiving sensitivity. Simultaneously, the photolithographic precision of the superconducting circuit reaches ±0.5μm, far exceeding that of conventional microstrip circuits, facilitating precise design of key indicators such as coupling degree. Based on this, the amplification component further integrates filtering, coupling, and amplification functions into a miniaturized integrated coupling, effectively reducing connection nodes and connector losses between devices, ultimately achieving superior coupling accuracy, lower system noise, and higher device integration. This amplification component is particularly suitable for applications with extremely high noise control requirements, such as deep space exploration, and is especially suitable for signal processing in the X-band and above (such as the Ku-band), reducing the noise temperature of the entire receiving system by at least 6K. Currently, there is no similar integrated design solution in the existing technology, and the technical path of reducing noise through simple amplifier design optimization has reached its bottleneck and is extremely difficult. This invention provides a novel solution that breaks through the limitations of existing technologies through an innovative combination of superconducting material application and integrated technology, the effects of which cannot be achieved through conventional technical means. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the superconducting filter coupling amplification component of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a simulation circuit diagram of the superconducting filter coupling amplification component of the present invention; Figure 3This is an example of simulation results for the superconducting filter-coupled amplification component of the present invention. Figure 1 ; Figure 4 This is an example of simulation results for the superconducting filter-coupled amplification component of the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0019] in: 1. Input interface; 2. Housing; 3. Superconducting filter coupling circuit; 4. Low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit; 5. Power supply interface; 6. Coupling interface; 7. Load interface; 8. Superconducting filter; 9. Superconducting coupler; 10. Low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip; 11. Microwave substrate; 12. Amplifier bias circuit; 13. Output interface; 14. Input port P1; 15. Output port P2; 16. Coupling port P3; 17. Load port P4; 18. 50Ω resistor; 19. Resonator; 20. Coupling microstrip line. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings: Conventional coupling circuits often employ microstrip designs, with an etching precision of approximately ±3μm. This makes it difficult to accurately extract calibration signals, thus affecting the signal demodulation accuracy of the receiver. In contrast, superconducting circuits typically achieve an etching precision of ±0.5μm, far exceeding that of conventional microstrip circuits. Leveraging this advantage, this invention optimizes device integration design, achieving not only superior coupling precision but also effectively reducing system noise. This makes it better suited for scenarios with extremely high requirements for signal reception accuracy and low noise, such as deep hole detection.

[0021] like Figure 1 The superconducting filter coupling amplification component shown is used in a deep space exploration receiver system. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component includes: Box 2; Box 2 is divided into a first cavity and a second cavity by a partition; a superconducting filter coupling circuit 3 is installed in the first cavity; a low temperature low noise amplifier circuit 4 is installed in the second cavity; the signal output terminal of the superconducting filter coupling circuit 3 is connected to the signal input terminal of the low temperature low noise amplifier circuit 4 by a gold jumper wire.

[0022] The superconducting filter coupling circuit 3 includes a superconducting filter and a superconducting coupler 9 integrated on the same dielectric substrate.

[0023] The low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit 4 includes a low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip and an amplifier bias circuit 12 integrated on the same microwave substrate 11; the output terminal of the amplifier bias circuit 12 is electrically connected to the bias pin of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip to provide a working bias signal for the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip.

[0024] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a superconducting thin film is provided on the front side of the dielectric substrate, and a metal coating is provided on the back side; the output end of the superconducting filter 8 and the input end of the superconducting coupler 9 are directly connected through the superconducting thin film on the dielectric substrate.

[0025] The dielectric substrate is a magnesium oxide or lanthanum aluminate substrate; the superconducting filter 8 and the superconducting coupler 9 are both etched from a high-temperature superconducting thin film covering the front side of the dielectric substrate; the metal coating consists of a high-temperature superconducting thin film covering the back side of the dielectric substrate and a gold film covering the surface of the thin film, and the metal coating is completely preserved and serves as a common ground plane.

[0026] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit 4 is soldered to the bottom of the housing 2 using gold-tin solder; the superconducting filter coupling circuit 3 is soldered to the bottom of the housing 2 using indium foil. The signal input terminal of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip 10 is electrically connected to the signal output terminal of the superconducting filter 8 in the superconducting filter coupling circuit 3 via a gold-plated interconnecting wire; the amplifier bias circuit 12 is fixedly electrically connected to the bias pin of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip 10 via gold-plated interconnecting lines disposed on the microwave substrate 11.

[0027] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, an input interface 1 is installed through the first cavity; the input interface 1 is connected to the superconducting filter 8 via a gold bridging wire.

[0028] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, an output interface 13 is installed through the second cavity; the output interface 13 is connected to the output terminal of the low temperature and low noise amplifier chip through a gold jumper wire.

[0029] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a bias interface is installed through the second cavity; the bias interface is connected to the amplifier bias circuit 12.

[0030] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a power supply interface 5 is installed on the second cavity.

[0031] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, a coupling interface 6 and a load interface 7 are installed on the first cavity; the superconducting filter coupling circuit 3 is soldered to the bottom of the box 2 through an indium sheet and connected to the coupling interface 6 and the load interface 7 through a gold bridging wire.

[0032] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the coupling degree of the superconducting coupler 9 is determined by the design specifications; the coupling degree of the superconducting coupler 9 is controlled by the microstrip line coupling distance.

[0033] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the superconducting filter coupling circuit uses magnesium oxide as a substrate, sputters high-temperature superconducting thin films on both sides of the substrate, and sputters gold films in situ on the high-temperature superconducting thin films. The high-temperature superconducting thin film and the gold film on one side are completely retained as the ground plane, while the input / output interface part on the other side is a gold film, and the rest is a high-temperature superconducting thin film. As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the surface of the box 2 is plated with gold.

[0034] As a further improvement to the above technical solution, the load interface 7 is connected to an external 50-ohm load.

[0035] The working principle of this invention is as follows: First, this invention places a superconducting filter 8 at the front end of signal processing. Since the resistance of superconducting materials is approximately zero at extremely low temperatures, the filter made from this material possesses an extremely high Q value, enabling minimal passband insertion loss and strong stopband suppression. This superconducting filter can accurately select signals in the target frequency band, significantly filtering out out-of-band interference signals, providing a high-purity initial signal for subsequent coupling and amplification steps, and preventing clutter from affecting the operating accuracy of subsequent devices.

[0036] Secondly, this invention uses superconducting materials to fabricate the superconducting coupler 9, and places the superconducting coupler 9 after the superconducting filter 8. The clean signal filtered by the superconducting filter 8 enters the superconducting coupler 9, which efficiently achieves signal transmission or coupling. Compared to ordinary coupling materials, superconducting materials can reduce signal loss during coupling and improve the stability of signal coupling, allowing the signal to be accurately transmitted to the next stage.

[0037] Finally, the coupled main signal is input to the low-temperature, low-noise amplifier circuit 4. This type of amplifier operates in a low-temperature environment, efficiently amplifying weak target signals to meet the needs of subsequent signal processing or applications, while minimizing noise generated by itself and the environment. This invention integrates the superconducting filter coupling device and the low-temperature, low-noise amplifier into the same housing. This reduces connection losses between components and interference from the external environment, while ensuring the entire system operates in a stable low-temperature environment, matching the operating temperature requirements of the superconducting device and the low-temperature, low-noise amplifier, and ensuring stable performance when all components work together.

[0038] This invention significantly reduces dielectric and junction losses by employing integrated superconducting devices, thereby substantially lowering device noise, making it particularly suitable for applications with stringent noise control requirements, such as deep space exploration. This amplification component is especially suitable for X-band and higher frequency bands (such as Ku-band), reducing the noise temperature of the entire receiving system by at least 6K. Furthermore, this invention achieves miniaturization of the coupler through a folded coupling line design and adopts a multi-cavity integrated structure, effectively reducing the power load of the cooler and lowering the overall heat capacity of the component, thus shortening the cooling time.

[0039] This invention first determines the order of the superconducting filter based on the target operating frequency band and out-of-band suppression requirements; then, it uses electromagnetic field simulation software to design the filter circuit, optimizing parameters to ensure that the filter's transmission curve S21 and echo curve S11 meet the design requirements. At the output of the designed filter circuit, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, a coupling microstrip line 20 coupled to the output terminal is set up, and together with the coupling port P3 16, the load port P4 17 and the 50Ω resistor 18, a complete superconducting coupler circuit is formed. Figure 1 Input interface 1, coupling interface 6, load interface 7, and output interface 13 are all actual physical ports, corresponding to the radio frequency electrical connectors installed on the wall of the box (or cavity), which are the physical interfaces for the component to interface with external circuits / devices. Figure 2 Input port P1 14, output port P2 15, coupling port P3 16, and load port P4 17 are virtual ports set during circuit simulation, used to simulate signal input, output, coupling, and load paths. The 50Ω resistor 18 is a virtual resistor set during simulation to simulate the electrical characteristics of an external load, replacing the actual 50-ohm load connected to load interface 7, facilitating simulation verification of circuit performance.

[0040] This embodiment utilizes software simulation to debug the parameters of the superconducting filter coupling amplification component applied to the deep space exploration receiver system: First, the distance between the coupling microstrip line 20 and the filter output port P2 15 is adjusted to ensure that the coupling degree index S23 meets the requirements, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the target coupling coefficient is 28dB. During this process, the original transmission curve S21 and echo curve S11 of the filter exhibit performance degradation. To address this performance degradation, the circuit parameters are further optimized through simulation: the length of the first-order resonator 19 connected to the output port P2 15 of the filter circuit is adjusted, as well as the relative position of the microstrip line at the output port and the first-order resonator 19. Ultimately, the filter's transmission curve S21 and echo curve S11 regain the design requirements. Specific simulation results are shown below. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown. From Figure 3 and Figure 4It can be seen that the coupling index S23 reaches the preset target value of 28dB, proving that after the superconducting filter and the superconducting coupler are integrated, the performance of the two can be coordinated after parameter optimization. This not only ensures the high frequency selectivity suppression effect of the filter, but also achieves the accuracy of coupling. There is no functional conflict or performance loss, which provides direct simulation support for the core advantages of the overall component: low noise and high precision.

[0041] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A superconducting filter coupling amplification component for use in a deep space exploration receiver system, characterized in that, This component includes: Box (2); The box (2) is divided into a first cavity and a second cavity that are independent of each other by a partition; A superconducting filter coupling circuit (3) is installed in the first cavity; A low temperature low noise amplifier circuit (4) is installed in the second cavity; The signal output terminal of the superconducting filter coupling circuit (3) is connected to the signal input terminal of the low temperature low noise amplifier circuit (4) through a gold jumper wire. The superconducting filter coupling circuit (3) includes a superconducting filter (8) and a superconducting coupler (9) integrated on the same dielectric substrate, with the output terminal of the superconducting filter (8) connected to the input terminal of the superconducting coupler (9). The low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit (4) includes a low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip (10) and an amplifier bias circuit (12) integrated on the same microwave substrate (11); the output terminal of the amplifier bias circuit (12) is electrically connected to the bias pin of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip (10).

2. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component for a deep space exploration receiver system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front side of the dielectric substrate is provided with a superconducting thin film, and the back side is provided with a metal coating; the output end of the superconducting filter (8) and the input end of the superconducting coupler (9) are directly connected through the superconducting thin film on the dielectric substrate. The dielectric substrate is a magnesium oxide or lanthanum aluminate substrate; the superconducting thin film is a high-temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-Δ thin film; the superconducting filter (8) and the superconducting coupler (9) are both etched from the high-temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-Δ thin film covering the front side of the dielectric substrate; the metal coating consists of the high-temperature superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-Δ thin film covering the back side of the dielectric substrate and a gold film covering the surface of the thin film, and the metal coating is completely preserved and serves as a common ground plane; The superconducting filter coupling circuit (3) is soldered to the bottom of the box (2) via an indium sheet.

3. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component for a deep space exploration receiver system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The low-temperature low-noise amplifier circuit (4) is soldered to the bottom of the housing (2) with gold solder; the signal input terminal of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip (10) is electrically connected to the signal output terminal of the superconducting coupler (9) in the superconducting filter coupling circuit (3) through a gold-plated interconnect line; the amplifier bias circuit (12) is fixedly electrically connected to the bias pin of the low-temperature low-noise amplifier chip (10) through a gold-plated interconnect line set on the microwave substrate (11).

4. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component for a deep space exploration receiver system according to claim 1, characterized in that, An input interface (1) is installed through the first cavity; the input interface (1) is connected to the superconducting filter (8) via a gold bridging wire.

5. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component for a deep space exploration receiver system according to claim 1, characterized in that, An output interface (13) is installed through the second cavity; the output interface (13) is connected to the low temperature and low noise amplifier chip (10) through a gold bridging wire.

6. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component for a deep space exploration receiver system according to claim 1, characterized in that, A bias interface (5) is installed through the second cavity; the bias interface (5) is connected to the amplifier bias circuit (12).

7. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component for a deep space exploration receiver system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first cavity is equipped with a coupling interface (6) and a load interface (7). The superconducting filter coupling circuit (3) is soldered to the bottom of the housing (2) by an indium sheet and connected to the coupling interface (6) and the load interface (7) by a gold bridging wire.

8. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component for a deep space exploration receiver system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The superconducting filter coupling circuit (3) uses magnesium oxide as a substrate. High-temperature superconducting thin films are sputtered on both sides of the substrate. Gold films are sputtered on the high-temperature superconducting thin films in situ. The high-temperature superconducting thin film and gold film on one side are completely retained as the ground plane. The input / output interface part on the other side is gold film, and the rest is high-temperature superconducting thin film.

9. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component for a deep space exploration receiver system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The surface of the box (1) is plated with gold.

10. The superconducting filter coupling amplification component for a deep space exploration receiver system according to claim 7, characterized in that, The load interface (7) is connected to an external 50-ohm load.

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