I just thought this up. Theoretically if you can add freq numbers you can get to large quantities like in a calculator, only this time mixing electric frequencies using amounts of circuitry right? Is this possible? Can you make up for the losses in load?

  • \$\begingroup\$ What were you thinking of using as your mixer? \$\endgroup\$ – Chris Stratton Feb 22 at 6:11
  • \$\begingroup\$ A couple of neutron stars? Just a thought... \$\endgroup\$ – Sparky256 Feb 22 at 6:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thought experiment: visible light has much lower frequency range than gamma so it should be much simpler to create your circuit for visible light. Is visible light possible in the scheme you propose? If so, how? If not, then why? \$\endgroup\$ – Transistor Feb 22 at 7:27
  • \$\begingroup\$ Alright, I guess we still rely on photon emission effects. If I'm not wrong, metal antennas, they recieve a current and emit radio photons. LEDS do it with light photons. Maybe let's wait for a gammaelectric effect with some unknown material. \$\endgroup\$ – A Federico Osuna Hdez Feb 22 at 8:20
  • \$\begingroup\$ I never heard the term "radio photons" before. Perhaps you're applying the particle/wave behavior of high frequency EM waves (I mean: light) to radio frequency waves. I am unsure if the particle behavior is still observed at those lower frequencies. I think generally radio frequency EM waves (less than 1 THz for example) are treated / described as waves only? \$\endgroup\$ – Bimpelrekkie Feb 22 at 9:32

No you can't.

Mixers made of transistors (I'm assuming you limit the question to those so not optical mixers for example) have a limited range of operation. My guess is that the "fastest" transistor based mixers we can make today can operate up to frequencies which are less than 1 Tera Hz (\$1* 10^{12}\$ Hz).

Try to go above that 1 THz and the mixer simply does not work. Transistors simply aren't that fast.

Gamma rays are at about 100 Exa Hz (\$1* 10^{18}\$ Hz), (see EM spectrum) that's about one million times times higher in frequency.

To get a mixer to produce the higher frequency signal, it has to be able to operate at that frequency. Transistor based mixers simply can't.

  • \$\begingroup\$ Nor can wires conduct electricity. It's above any metal's plasma frequency \$\endgroup\$ – Whit3rd Feb 22 at 8:29
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Whit3rd Not sure what you mean, perhaps you mean that the gamma rays will not travel through the wires? \$\endgroup\$ – Bimpelrekkie Feb 22 at 9:27
  • \$\begingroup\$ Metals aren't conductive at X-ray frequencies; silvered mirrors won't reflect X-rays either. Gamma rays penetrate wires, because the wires are transparent. \$\endgroup\$ – Whit3rd Feb 22 at 9:36
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Whit3rd My confusion is with your statement: Nor can wires conduct electricity. I am quite sure wires can conduct electricity because all the stuff here on my desk uses electricity which is fed to them by conductors in wires. \$\endgroup\$ – Bimpelrekkie Feb 22 at 9:39
  • \$\begingroup\$ Oh, you mean DC electricity, and electric currents at lower frequencies. My intent was to note that electric current in wires was not going to be a suitable connection in any frequency-mixing apparatus, regardless of transistor action, for X-rays. \$\endgroup\$ – Whit3rd Feb 22 at 9:42

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