Hybrid Superconductor/Semiconductor Planar Oscillators

Hybrid high-temperature-superconductor (HTS)/semiconductor planar oscillator circuits that operate at a frequency of 8.4 GHz have been developed. In the original intended application, one of these circuits would serve as a local oscillator in a cryogenic heterodyne receiver in a spaceborne experiment on high-temperature superconductivity. The same attributes that make these circuits attractive for use aboard spacecraft could also make them attractive for use on Earth — especially in applications in which high frequency stability, low phase noise, and ability to withstand vibrations are required.