NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has awarded Micro Harmonics a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to develop low loss, millimeter wave isolators optimized for cryogenic systems. With few cryogenically-rated isolators available at frequencies above 40 GHz, the SBIR program will develop components NASA designers can use to improve performance in millimeter wave and terahertz systems.

Leveraging the technology developed on the program, Micro Harmonics plans to add cryogenically-rated options to the company’s line of Faraday rotation isolators. Micro Harmonics’ products cover from WR-12 (60 to 90 GHz) through WR-3.4 (220 to 325 GHz) and are designed for applications requiring high isolation and low insertion loss.

Micro Harmonics’ designs use diamond substrates to channel heat to the waveguide block, resulting in power handling that exceeds the capabilities of other commercial products, according to the company.

In addition to isolators, Micro Harmonics offers wideband, high performance circulators covering from V- through W-Band. The company’s ferrite isolator and circulator products were developed with support from a previous SBIR program funded by NASA. Commercial uses include scientific instruments and applications such as plasma diagnostics, chemical spectroscopy, biomaterial analysis, point-to-point radio links, portal security systems and radio astronomy.