An Ultrawideband Cross-Correlation Radiometer for Mesoscopic Experiments

We have designed, built, and tested a cross-correlation radiometer for detecting quantum statistical fluctuations in mesoscopic experiments. We present the details of our design and the results of our characterization. Our instrument operates over the X- and Ku-bands (8-18 GHz). Digital signal processing techniques are used to provide robustness against instrumentation drifts and offsets. The economized version of our instrument can detect, with sufficient correlation efficiency, noise signals having power levels as low as 10 fW. The modularity of our design allows one to easily alter the specifications (such as the bandwidth and the sensitivity) by simply replacing individual components.