Enhancing the noise performance of monolithic microwave integrated circuit-based low noise amplifiers through the use of a discrete preamplifying transistor

Mark A. McCulloch, Simon J. Melhuish, Lucio Piccirillo

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    An approach to enhancing the noise performance of an InP monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC)-based low noise amplifiers (LNA) through the use of a discrete 100-nm gate length InP high electron mobility transistor is outlined. This LNA, known as a transistor in front of MMIC (T + MMIC) LNA, possesses a gain in excess of 40 dB and an average noise temperature of 9.4 K across the band 27 to 33 GHz at a physical temperature of 8 K. This compares favorably with 14.5 K for an LNA containing an equivalent MMIC. A simple advanced design system model offering further insights into the operation of the LNA is also presented and the LNA is compared with the current state-of-the-art Planck LFI LNAs.
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalJournal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems
    Volume1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2015

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