Millimeter waves instrumentation overview at the IRAM observatories

Abstract :
IRAM is an international research institute for millimeter-wave radio astronomy, founded over 45 years ago.  Our institute operates two observatories, the first one in the Hautes-Alpes, on the plateau de Bure, at 2550m, called the NOEMA interferometer, which consists of 12 antennas of 15m diameter, observing in the 70-375 GHz frequency band. The second observatory is in Spain, in the Sierra Nevada, at 2900m altitude, with a 30m-diameter antenna observing in the same frequency ranges.   I will present a brief history showing the evolution of the different receivers used in these observatories (heterodyne and continuum instrumentation).  The next generations of receivers currently under development and those planned for the longer term will also be described.  Finally, measurement benches and examples of laboratory equipment will be discussed, to show how our systems are characterized, from an optical point of view (antenna bench), RF (network analyzer with mm extension, custom modules) and on-site during instrument calibrations.