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Frequency-Temperature Compensation Techniques for High-Q Microwave Resonators

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Frequency Measurement and Control

Part of the book series: Topics in Applied Physics ((TAP,volume 79))

Abstract

Low-noise high-stability resonator oscillators based on high-Q monolithic sapphire “Whispering Gallery” (WG)-mode resonators have become important devices for telecommunication, radar and metrological applications. The extremely high quality factor of sapphire, of 2 × 105 at room temperature, 5 × 107 at liquid nitrogen temperature and 5 × 109 at liquid helium temperature has enabled the lowest phase noise and highly frequency-stable oscillators in the microwave regime to be constructed. To create an oscillator with exceptional frequency stability, the resonator must have its frequency—temperature dependence annulled at some temperature, as well as a high quality factor. The Temperature Coefficient of Permittivity (TCP) for sapphire is quite large, at 10-100 parts per million/K above 77 K. This mechanism allows temperature fluctuations to transform to resonator frequency fluctuations.

A number of research groups worldwide have investigated various methods of compensating the TCP of a sapphire dielectric resonator at different temperatures. The usual electromagnetic technique of annulment involves the use of paramagnetic impurities contributing an opposite temperature coefficient of the magnetic susceptibility to the TCP. This technique has only been realized successfully in liquid helium environments. Near 4 K the thermal expansion and permittivity effects are small and only small quantities of the paramagnetic ions are necessary to compensate the mode frequency. Compensation is due to impurity ions that were incidentally left over from the manufacturing process.

Recently, there has been an effort to dispense with the need for liquid helium and make a compact flywheel oscillator for the new generation of primary frequency standards such as the cesium fountain at the Laboratoire Primaire du Temps et des Fréquences (LPTF), France. To achieve the stability limit imposed by quantum projection noise requires that the local oscillator stability is of the order of 10−14. Currently work is under way to achieve this goal in space-borne and mobile liquid-nitrogen-cooled systems. The work appears promising and, as at early 2000, the realization of this goal should not be far off.

In this contribution we review techniques that cancel the TCP of sapphire and other dielectric resonators. Details of the temperature control system required to achieve current and target frequency stabilities are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Frequency Standards and Metrology Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 6907, WA, Australia

    John G. Hartnett & Michael E. Tobar

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  1. John G. Hartnett
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  1. Physics Department, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, 6907, WA, Australia

    Andre N. Luiten

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Hartnett, J.G., Tobar, M.E. (2001). Frequency-Temperature Compensation Techniques for High-Q Microwave Resonators. In: Luiten, A.N. (eds) Frequency Measurement and Control. Topics in Applied Physics, vol 79. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44991-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44991-4_4

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