Flicker noise in GaAs MESFET X-band amplifiers in the temperature range 300 K to 2 K

25 September 1986

journal article
Published by Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in Electronics Letters

Vol. 22 (20) , 1037-1038
https://doi.org/10.1049/el:19860711

Abstract

We report measurements of the noise temperature of small-signal, low-noise X-band GaAs MESFET amplifiers from room temperature down to 2 K, at offset frequencies of several hundred hertz from the carrier and for input carrier powers from -40 to -20dBm. We observe a dramatic increase in the level of flicker noise as these devices are cooled to liquid helium temperatures, in marked contrast to the normally observed decrease in noise temperature of an unsaturated GaAs MESFET amplifier as it is cooled.

Keywords

GAAS
III-V SEMICONDUCTORS
FLICKER NOISE
SMALL-SIGNAL OPERATION
CRYOGENIC TYPE
300K TO 2K
NOISE TEMPERATURE
TEMPERATURE RANGE
SOLID-STATE MICROWAVE CIRCUITS
X-BAND AMPLIFIERS
MESFET
LIQUID HELIUM TEMPERATURES