Author(s)
David A. Howe, Archita Hati
Abstract
We compare best-in-class phase noise of different technologies of oscillators and amplifiers at X-band. Results are presented based on recent measurements at NIST. In particular, comparisons are made between mature technologies of multiplied quartz, sapphire dielectric in whispering gallery mode (WGM), and air-dielectric-resonator stabilized RF oscillators in contrast to various configurations of optical electronic oscillators (OEO), cavity-stabilized, and atom-stabilized optical-domain oscillators and femtosecond-laser-comb frequency synthesizers. This study also reports the status of classes of low-noise X-band amplifiers, since high-spectral-purity oscillators are constrained by amplifiers to varying degrees. Best-available low-noise X-band commercial amplifiers are compared with new feedforward, feedback, and array-gain test devices. Straight HBT (heterojunction bipolar transistors) and SiGe HBT technologies are compared in terms of phase noise. Results are for an operating frequency of 10 GHz.
Citation
IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
Keywords
amplifier, cavity, microwave, noise, noise measurement, optical, oscillator, phase noise
Citation
Howe, D.
and Hati, A.
(2007),
Phase Noise of X-band Oscillator and Amplifier Technologies Compared, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=50273 (Accessed May 5, 2026)
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