International audienceMeasurement of the mechanical losses of quartz crystal is a topic of interest for communities dealing with the gravitational wave detectors and also the time and frequency domain. About the latter, the authors describe Q-factor measurements of quartz crystal resonators at cryogenic temperatures under 10 K, thanks to a cryocooler-based experimental set-up. A Q-factor of 325 millions at 4 K, on the fifth overtone of the quasilongitudinal mode at 15.9 MHz, has been recorded. As shown, the acoustic wave trapping is suspected to limit the Landau-Rumer regime below 6 K [Landau and Rumer, Phys. Z. Sowjetunion 11, 18 (1937)]

This work presents the results of investigations on different aspects of cryogenic operation of BAW resonators. For the quartz crystal resonators the losses mechanisms, the temperature sensitivity, the amplitude-frequency effect are described for liquid helium temperatures. The corresponding problems are discussed. To overcome some of these problems, the possible solution of operation at higher modes is considered. Some of these higher modes exhibit outstanding quality factors. The highest (for BAW resonators) quality factor value and quality factor-frequency product are measured for the 11th and 13th overtones respectively. In addition, two LGT resonators have been characterized in a wide temperature range. Finally, some preliminary results on utilization of cryogenic quartz resonators as a part of a frequency stabilization closed loop system are given.

This work presents some recent results in the field of liquid helium bulk acoustic wave oscillators. The discussion covers the whole development procedure starting from component selection and characterization and concluding with actual phase noise measurements. The associated problems and limitations are discussed. The unique features of obtained phase noise power spectral densities are explained with a proposed extension of the Leeson effect.

No abstract