Abstract: An oscillator having a desired output frequency, comprising a cavity resonator 102 loaded with an anisotropic dielectric material and an oscillator circuit 100 including the cavity resonator 102 as a frequency determining element, the oscillator circuit 100 arranged to operate the cavity resonator 102 at a first frequency in a first mode and at a second frequency in a second mode, the first mode and the second mode each being influenced to a different extent by the thermal coefficient of permittivity of at least one crystal axis of the dielectric material, the oscillator circuit arranged to produce the desired operating frequency from the first frequency and the second frequency. The first frequency and the second frequency differ by an amount corresponding to the desired output frequency.

Abstract: A signal analysis instrument (10) and a receiver. The signal analysis instrument (10) comprises a computer (12), a phase shift mechanism, a receiver mechanism and data acquisition device. The phase shift mechanism comprises an input (100) for receiving a first high frequency signal; a phase shifter (114) arranged to act on the first high frequency signal to produce a phase-shifted first high frequency signal; and a phase shift controller (116) arranged to control operation of the phase shifter (114) in response to instructions from the computer (12). The receiver mechanism comprises a mixer (104) and a first signal conditioning circuit (106). The mixer (104) is responsive to the phase-shifted first high frequency signal and to a second high frequency signal to produce a mixer output signal. The first signal conditioning circuit (106) is responsive to the mixer output signal to produce a receiver output signal.

Abstract: An interferometric signal processing apparatus (10) producing an output signal from a first input signal (34) and a second input signal (34), the input signals (34) having substantially equal carrier frequencies, comprising a bridge (12) having a first arm (26) and a second arm (28), each arm having a first end (30) and a second end (32), the first and second input signals (34) being input to the first end (30) of the first and second arms (26, 28), respectively; a device-under-test (36) provided the first arm (26); a carrier suppressor (14) connected to the second ends (32) of the first and second arms (26, 28) to produce a carrier-suppressed signal at its output (A); an amplifier (16) arranged to amplify said carrier-suppressed signal; and a mixer (22, 24) responsive to the amplified carrier-suppressed signal and a carrier-dominated signal to produce the output signal; wherein the differential group delay between: the first end (30) of the first arm (26) and the output (A) of the carrier suppressor (14); an

Abstract: A method of producing a microwave resonator comprising a cavity (50) defined, at least in part, by a generally cylindrical wall (64) having an electrically conductive inner surface and containing a generally cylindrical piece of low loss dielectric material (22), characterised by forming a generally cylindrical piece of low loss dielectric material of predetermined size and placing same in a cavity to produce a microwave resonator which operates in a particular mode at a specific frequency at a particular temperature. Microwave radiation corresponding to a further operating mode is then passed into the cavity and then the frequency corresponding to the further operating mode is searched for and measured. A further generally cylindrical piece of dielectric material is produced by scaling from the first piece of dielectric material according to the ratio between the first and second frequencies.

Abstract: A method of producing a microwave resonator comprising a cavity (50) defined, at least in part, by a generally cylindrical wall (64) having an electrically conductive inner surface and containing a generally cylindrical piece of low loss dielectric material (22), characterized by forming a generally cylindrical piece of low loss dielectric material of predetermined size and placing same in a cavity to produce a microwave resonator which operates in a particular mode at a specific frequency at a particular temperature. Microwave radiation corresponding to a further operating mode is then passed into the cavity and then the frequency corresponding to the further operating mode is searched for and measured. A further generally cylindrical piece of dielectric material is produced by scaling from the first piece of dielectric material according to the ratio between the first and second frequencies.