Generation of transmission wave with low AM noise for sub-GHz CW-EPR spectrometer

Abstract

This study describes a technique to clean amplitude modulation (AM) noise of RF transmission waves, which is used to observe the sub-GHz CW-EPR spectrum. An RF transmitter amplifier that has the function of cleaning AM noise has been developed. Cleaning of the AM noise was owing to saturation of the output at the amplifier. Three stages of the amplifiers in series could effectively suppress the AM noise to about –176 dBc/Hz and –183 dBc/Hz at offset frequency of 10 kHz and 100 kHz, respectively at the carrier frequency of 750 MHz and the output power of 29 dBm. Since phase modulation (PM) noise is suppressed by phase sensitive detection, the AM noise in the transmission is dominant cause of the noise in the sub-GHz CW-EPR absorption spectrum using a reflection bridge, which depends on the quality factor of the resonator and the power of the RF transmission. The additive phase modulation (PM) noise of this amplifier was –171 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 100 kHz, which indicated that the frequency modulation (FM) of the transmission wave was not distorted with this amplifier. Therefore, conventional CW-EPR spectrometers that typically require FM for automatic frequency control or automatic tunning control can use this technique to increase sensitivity.