Low-noise oscillator using superconducting nonlinear element

Abstract

A low-noise oscillator includes a resonator constituted by a coil, a capacitor and a sustaining coil which are made of superconductivity material and maintained at a low temperature below the critical temperature; a linear amplifier which always operates in its linear zone; and a load. The amplitude of oscillation is stabilized when it has attained a threshold value such that the superconducting material constituting the coil of the resonator becomes progressively resistive under the action of the magnetic field produced by this coil. The coil then dissipates part of the energy injected into the resonator. Since the high-frequency noise of the oscillator is essentially determined by the low-frequency noise of its nonlinear element, the use of superconducting material at low temperature in order to constitute the nonlinear element makes it possible to obtain an oscillator having very low noise.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.