A Low-Noise Broadband Cryogenic Preamplifier Operated in a High-Field Superconducting Magnet

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity Vol. 18; no. 4; pp. 1781 - 1789
• Main Authors: Mathur, R., Knepper, R.W., O'Connor, P.B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.12.2008; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Amplifiers; Applied sciences; Broadband; Circuit noise; Circuit properties; Circuits; Cooling; Cryogenic amplifier; Cryogenics; Cyclotrons; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electromagnets; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FTICRMS); Integrated circuits; low-noise amplifier; Mass spectrometers; Mass spectroscopy; Noise reduction; Preamplifiers; Resonance; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Signal to noise ratio; Superconducting device noise; Superconducting magnets; Superconductivity; Various equipment and components; Voltage gain; Performance evaluation; Fourier transformation; Cooling; Low noise circuit; Thermal management (packaging); Cryogenic amplifier; Cyclotron resonance; Low noise amplifier; Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FTICRMS); Spectrometer; Cryogenic circuit; Cryogenic temperature; Superconducting magnet; Preamplifier; Wide band; Cryogenics; Cooling system; High field; Thermal noise; Time signal; Gain; Room temperature; Signal to noise ratio; low-noise amplifier
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2008.2007272

The recently developed cryogenic Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FTICRMS) has provided an opportunity for improvement in the limit of detection of FTICRMS by cooling the detection preamplifier to 4 K, thus reducing the thermal noise in the preamplifier. In this manuscript, we describe the development of a low-noise cryogenic preamplifier for FTICRMS and its performance in a high-field superconducting electromagnet. The preamplifier has a voltage gain of 250 with - 3-dB roll off at 850 kHz. The cryogenic preamplifier circuit has shown about 20 times improvement in signal-to-noise ratio, over the room temperature version.