High temperature superconductor mini-filters and mini-multiplexers with self-resonant spiral resonators

A high temperature superconductor mini-filter comprising:

• (a) a substrate having a front side and a back side;
• (b) at least two self-resonant spiral resonators in intimate contact with the front side of the substrate, each of said resonators independently comprising a high temperature superconductor line oriented in a spiral fashion (i) such that adjacent lines are spaced from each other by a gap distance which is less than the line width;
• and (ii) so as to form a central opening within the spiral, the dimensions of which are approximately equal to the gap distance;
• (c) at least one inter-resonator coupling;
• (d) an input coupling circuit comprising a transmission line with a first end connected to an input connector of the filter and a second end coupled to a first one of the at least two self-resonant spiral resonators;
• (e) an output coupling circuit comprising a transmission line with a first end connected to an output connector of the filter and a second end coupled to a last one of the at least two self-resonant spiral resonators;
• (f) a blank high temperature superconductor film disposed on the back side of the substrate as a ground plane;
• and
• (g) a blank gold film disposed on the blank high temperature superconductor film.

A high temperature superconductor mini-multiplexer comprising:

• (a) at least two mini-filters, each mini-filter having a frequency band which is different from and does not overlap with the frequency bands of each other mini-filter;
• (b) a distribution network with one common port as an input for the mini-multiplexer and multiple distributing ports, wherein one distributing port is connected to a corresponding input of one mini-filter;
• (c) a multiple of output lines, wherein one output line is connected to a corresponding output of one mini-filter;
• and
• (d) wherein each of said at least two mini-filters comprises:
• (1) a substrate having a front side and a back side;
• (2) at least two self-resonant spiral resonators in intimate contact with the front side of the substrate, each of said resonators independently comprising a high temperature superconductor line oriented in a spiral fashion (i) such that adjacent lines are spaced from each other by a gap distance which is less than the line width;
• and (ii) so as to form a central opening within the spiral, the dimensions of which are approximately equal to the gap distance;
• (3) at least one inter-resonator coupling;
• (4) an input coupling circuit comprising a transmission line with a first end connected to a corresponding one said distribution port of the multiplexer and a second end coupled to a first one of said at least two self-resonant spiral resonators;
• (5) an output coupling circuit comprising a transmission line with a first end connected to a corresponding output line for the multiplexer and a second end coupled to a last one of said at least two self-resonant spiral resonators;
• (6) a blank high temperature superconductor film disposed on the back side of the substrate as a ground plane;
• and
• (7) a blank gold film disposed on said blank high temperature superconductor film.