Cryogenic electronics in advanced sensor systems

Cryogenic Electronics technologies are discussed from the standpoint of meeting sensor performance requirements. Capabilities that are provided by cryogenic electronics are described. Radar and Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems requirements are based on the need to detect and track targets in the presence of clutter and jamming signals. Radars must transmit high fidelity signals, and receive returns with high fidelity and wide dynamic range for Doppler Processing, to discriminate targets from clutter and jamming. Requirements are translated into radar specifications: transmitter, receiver, antenna array, and other components must produce low phase noise. The receiver and analog to digital converter (ADC) need wide linear dynamic range. HTS technology provides key devices to achieve phase noise supression and large signal dynamic range. Examples include: HTS resonators generate stable reference signals in the radar; switchable preselectors remove out of band jamming; HTS circuits enable digital to analog converters (DACs) and ADCs to provide direct synthesis of complex waveforms and digitization of received signals. EW System requirements are high dynamic range reception, and real-time signal processing; they must be wide-band and recognize a diverse set of waveforms. An HTS switchable preselector and delay line provide the front end for an advanced EW receiver and processor. The application of HTS technology to Radar and EW Systems will be addressed, and progress to date in development of analog and digital HTS devices will be described.<>