NAOJ successfully developed the Band 10 receiver covering the frequency band from 787 GHz to 950 GHz, whose development was thought to be the most difficult among ten receiver bands to be installed in ALMA. This low-noise receiver is based on a superconductive integrated circuit designed and fabricated using a high-quality film made of compound superconductive material NbTiN (niobium-titanium nitrides). The performance test was conducted with this circuit installed in the newly-developed receiver. As a result of the test, it was proved that the world’s highest performance low-noise receiver was successfully developed.
The picture shows the superconductive integrated circuit micrographed by an electron microscope.
