Microwave receiver and magnetoresistive device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10020831-B2
Application number	US-201615215380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Jul 21, 2015
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

A microwave receiver includes a magnetoresistive element to which a microwave is input, a magnetic field application unit, and a DC bias current application unit. The magnetoresistive element includes a free magnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer interposed between the free magnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layer. The magnetic field application unit applies a magnetic field to the free magnetic layer. The DC bias current application unit applies a DC bias current to the magnetoresistive element, and includes an input terminal. The DC bias current is made variable by adjusting a DC voltage that is applied to the DC bias current application unit via the input terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microwave receiver comprising:
a magnetoresistive element to which a microwave signal is input,
the magnetoresistive element including a free magnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer interposed between the free magnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layer;
a magnetic field application unit that applies a magnetic field to the free magnetic layer; and
a DC bias current application unit that applies a DC bias current to the magnetoresistive element,
the DC bias current application unit including an input terminal, wherein
the DC bias current is varied by adjusting a DC voltage that is applied to the DC bias current application unit via the input terminal,
the magnetoresistive element detects the microwave signal and generates a first DC electromotive voltage,
an electric current associated with the first DC electromotive voltage is divided into an electric current that passes through an inductor and a feedback signal line and is injected into the DC bias current application unit and an electric current that is output to a subsequent circuit,
the first DC electromotive voltage is supplied to the DC bias current application unit via the inductor and the feedback signal line, and
the DC bias current application unit adjusts the DC bias current so as to keep the first DC electromotive voltage constant.

2. The microwave receiver according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a demodulation filter that includes the magnetoresistive element, the DC bias current application unit and a local wave generator wherein the local wave generator generates an I-phase local wave having a local wave frequency different from a frequency of the multilevel symbol transmission signal and a Q-phase local wave having the local wave frequency, wherein
the magnetoresistive element is comprised of a first magnetoresistive element and a second magnetoresistive element,
the DC bias current application unit is comprised of a first bias current application unit and a second bias current application unit,
the microwave signal includes a multilevel symbol transmission signal that is transmitted on two orthogonal carrier waves comprising an I-phase carrier wave and a Q-phase carrier wave,
the first DC bias current application unit applies to the first magnetoresistive element a first DC bias current as the DC bias current,
the second DC bias current application unit applies to the second magnetoresistive element a second DC bias current as the DC bias current,
the I-phase local wave is input to the first magnetoresistive element,
the first magnetoresistive element generates a first DC electromotive voltage when outputting an I-phase demodulation signal obtained by multiplying the multilevel symbol transmission signal with the I-phase local wave,
the Q-phase local wave is input to the second magnetoresistive element,
the second magnetoresistive element generates a second DC electromotive voltage when outputting a Q-phase demodulation signal obtained by multiplying the multilevel symbol transmission signal with the Q-phase local wave,
an electric current associated with the I-phase demodulation signal is divided into an electric current that passes through a first inductor and a first feedback signal line and is injected into the first DC bias current application unit and an electric current that is output to a first subsequent circuit,
the first DC electromotive voltage is supplied to the first DC bias current application unit via the first inductor and the first feedback signal line,
the first DC bias current application unit adjusts the first DC bias current so as to keep the first DC electromotive voltage constant,
an electric current associated with the Q-phase demodulation signal is divided into an electric current that passes through a second inductor and a second feedback signal line and is injected into the second DC bias current application unit and an electric current that is output to a second subsequent circuit,
the second DC electromotive voltage is supplied to the second DC bias current application unit via the second inductor and the second feedback signal line, and
the second DC bias current application unit adjusts the second DC bias current so as to keep the second DC electromotive voltage constant.

3. A microwave receiver comprising:
a magnetoresistive element to which a microwave signal is input,
the magnetoresistive element including a free magnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer interposed between the free magnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layer;
a magnetic field application unit that applies a magnetic field to the free magnetic layer; and
a DC bias current application unit that applies a DC bias current to the magnetoresistive element,
the DC bias current application unit including an input terminal, wherein
the DC bias current is varied by adjusting a DC voltage that is applied to the DC bias current application unit via the input terminal,
the microwave signal includes a multilevel symbol transmission signal that is transmitted on two orthogonal carrier waves comprising an I-phase carrier wave and a Q-phase carrier wave,
the microwave receiver further comprises a local oscillator that generates a local wave having a frequency different from a frequency of the multilevel symbol transmission signal,
the local wave is input to the magnetoresistive element,
the magnetoresistive element generates a DC electromotive voltage when outputting a multiplication signal obtained by multiplying the multilevel symbol transmission signal by the local wave,
an electric current associated with the multiplication signal is divided into an electric current that passes through an inductor and a feedback signal line and is injected into the DC bias current application unit and an electric current that is output to a subsequent circuit,
the DC electromotive voltage is supplied to the DC bias current application unit via the inductor and the feedback signal line, and
the DC bias current application unit adjusts the DC bias current so as to keep the DC electromotive voltage constant.

4. The microwave receiver according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a demodulation filter, wherein
the multiplication signal is input to the demodulation filter,
the demodulation filter includes a first intermediate-frequency oscillator, a second intermediate-frequency oscillator, a first intermediate-frequency mixer, and a second intermediate-frequency mixer, the first intermediate-frequency oscillator generating an I-phase oscillation signal having a first frequency that is equal to a frequency difference between the multilevel symbol transmission signal and the local wave, the second intermediate-frequency oscillator generating a Q-phase oscillation signal having the first frequency,
the first intermediate-frequency mixer outputs an I-phase demodulation signal obtained by multiplying a signal included in the multiplication signal and having the first frequency with the I-phase oscillation signal, and
the second intermediate-frequency mixer outputs a Q-phase demodulation signal obtained by multiplying a signal included in the multiplication signal and having the first frequency with the Q-phase oscillation signal.

5. A microwave receiver comprising:
a magnetoresistive element to which a microwave signal is input,
the magnetoresistive element including a free magnetic layer, a fixed magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer interposed between the free magnetic layer and the fixed magnetic layer;
a magnetic field application unit that applies a magnetic field to the free magnetic layer; and
a DC bias current application unit that applies a DC bias current to the magnetoresistive element,
the DC bias current application uni

Assignees

• Tdk Corp

Inventors

• Kakinuma Yuji

Classifications

• H04B1/28 Primary

  the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes · CPC title

• H04B1/24

  the receiver comprising at least one semiconductor device having three or more electrodes · CPC title

• H04L25/06 Primary

  DC level restoring means; Bias distortion correction {; Decision circuits providing symbol by symbol detection} · CPC title

• H04B1/18

  Input circuits, e.g. for coupling to an antenna or a transmission line (coupling networks between antennas or lines and receivers independent of the nature of the receiver H03H) · CPC title

• H04L27/22

  Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits · CPC title