1

Basics of Microwave Measurements

Steven Anlage
http://www.cnam.umd.edu/anlage/AnlageMicrowaveMeasurements.htm

2
Electrical Signals at Low and High Frequencies
3
Transmission Lines
Transmission lines carry microwave signals from one point to another
They are important because the wavelength is much smaller than the length of typical T-lines
used in the lab
You have to look at them as distributed circuits, rather than lumped circuits
The wave equations
V
4
Transmission Lines
Wave Speed
Take the ratio of the voltage and current waves
at any given point in the transmission line:
= Z
0
The characteristic impedance Z
0
of the T-line
Reflections from a terminated transmission line
Z
L
Z
0
0
0
Z Z
Z Z
a
b
V
V
L
L
right
left
+

= = = I
Reflection
coefficient
Some interesting special cases:
Open Circuit Z
L
= , I = 1 e
i0
Short Circuit Z
L
= 0, I = 1 e
it
Perfect Load Z
L
= Z
0
, I = 0 e
i?
These are used in error correction measurements to characterize non-ideal T-lines
5
Transmission Lines and Their Characteristic Impedances
6
The power absorbed in a termination is:
Transmission Lines, continued
Model of a realistic transmission line including loss
Traveling
Wave
solutions
with
Shunt
Conductance
7
How Much Power Reaches the Load?
8
Waveguides
Rectangular metallic waveguide
H
9
Network Analysis
Assumes linearity!
10
N-Port Description of an Arbitrary Enclosure
N Port
System
N Ports
Voltages and Currents,
Incoming and Outgoing Waves
Z matrix
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

-
-
-
Z =
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

-
-
-
N N
I
I
I
V
V
V
2
1
2
1
] [
S matrix
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

-
-
-
=
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(

-
-
-
+
+
+

N N V
V
V
S
V
V
V
2
1
2
1
] [

1
V
+
1
V
V
1
, I
1
V
N
, I
N

N
V
+
N
V
) ( ) (
0
1
0
Z Z Z Z S + =

) ( ), ( e e S Z
Complicated
Functions of
frequency
Detail Specific
(Non-Universal)
11
Linear vs. Nonlinear Behavior
12
Network vs. Spectrum Analysis
13
Resonator Measurements
Sample
Microwave
Resonator
Cavity
Perturbation
input output
Traditional Electrodynamics Measurements
H
rf

rf currents
inhomogeneities
~ microwave
wavelength

These measurements
average the properties
over the entire sample
frequency
transmission
f
0
of
f
0

of
Af = f
0
f
0
A(Stored Energy)
A(1/2Q) A(Dissipated Energy)
Quality Factor
Q = E
stored
/E
dissip.
Q = f
0
/ of
T
1
T
2
B
sample
14
Electric and Magnetic Perturbations
Sample
E
c
1
- i c
2

o, /t
R
s
+ i X
s

Varying capacitance (c
1
) and
inductance (
1
) change the stored
energy and resonant frequency Af
Af = f
0
f
0
A(Stored Energy)
A(1/2Q) A(Dissipated Energy)
Varying sample losses (/t,
tano = c
2
/c
1
,
2
) change the quality
factor (Q) of the microscope
Magnetic Field Pert.

1
+ i
2
o, /t
R
s
+ i X
s

Sample
E
Electric Field Pert.
B B
15
The Variable-Spacing Parallel Plate Resonator
Principle of Operation: Measure the resonant frequency, f
0
, and the
quality factor, Q, of the VSPPR versus the continuously variable
thickness of the dielectric spacer (s), and to fit them to theoretical forms
in order to extract the absolute values of and R
s
.
Vary s
s: contact
~ 100 m
in steps of
10 nm to 1 m
The measurements are performed at a fixed temperature
In our experiments L, w ~ 1 cm
rf
B

16
The VSPPR Experiment
Films held and aligned by two sets
of perpendicular sapphire pins
Dielectric spacer thickness (s)
measured with capacitance meter
17
VSPPR: Theory of Operation
V. V. Talanov, et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 71, 2136 (2000)
US Patent # 6,366,096
s
s
f
f
eff
PC
SC
o

+
+
=
1
1
/ 2 1
, 0
, 0
Superconducting samples
Quality Factor
r
PC
L
c
f
c 2
, 0
=
|
|
.
|

\
|
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ =
c
t
o
0 0
2
ln 423 . 0
1
sf
L
) / coth( d
eff
=
fringe
effect
SC Trans.
line resonator
Resonant Frequency
rad d SC
Q Q Q Q
1 1 1 1
+ + =
O
s
f
f
s f
R
Q
SC
eff
eff
SC
| o
t
+ +
+
= tan
) 2 (
1
* *
0
*
Assumes: 2 identical and uniform films, local electrodynamics, R
s
(f) ~f
2
2
*
, 0 *
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
f
f
R R
SC
eff eff
f* is a reference frequency
L / 1 = |
18
High-T
c
Superconducting Thin Films at 77 K
0 20 40 60 80 100
11.4
11.6
11.8
12.0
12.2
12.4

Dielectric Spacer Thickness (m)
R
e
s
o
n
a
n
t

F
r
e
q
u
e
n
c
y

(
G
H
z
)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
750nm-YBCO/LAO
VSPPR, T=77 K
LN2 dielectric spacer
Q
-
f
a
c
t
o
r
fit: 257 25 nm
R
s
fit: 200 20 O @ f* = 10 GHz
L = 9.98 mm, w = 9.01 mm, film thickness d = 760 30 nm, T
c
= 92.4 K
Mutual Inductance Measurements
(
1
+
2
)/2 = 300 15 nm