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Hübers, H. - W., Semenov, A., Richter, H., Birk, M., Krocka, M., Mair, U., et al. (2002). Terahertz heterodyne receiver with a hot-electron bolometer mixer. In J. Wold, & J. Davidson (Eds.), Proc. Far-IR, Sub-mm, and mm Detector Technology Workshop.
Abstract: During the past decade major advances have been made regarding low noise mixers for terahertz (THz) heterodyne receivers. State of the art hot-electron-bolometer (HEB) mixers have noise temperatures close to the quantum limit and require less than a µW power from the local oscillator (LO). The technology is now at a point where the performance of a practical receiver employing such mixer, rather than the figures of merit of the mixer itself, are of major concern. We have incorporated a phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixer in a 2.5 THz heterodyne receiver and investigated the performance of the receiver. This yields important information for the development of heterodyne receivers such as GREAT (German receiver for astronomy at THz frequencies aboard SOFIA)[1] and TELIS (Terahertz limb sounder), a balloon borne heterodyne receiver for atmospheric research [2]. Both are currently under development at DLR.
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Kuznetsov, K. A., Kornienko, V. V., Vakhtomin, Y. B., Pentin, I. V., Smirnov, K. V., & Kitaeva, G. K. (2018). Generation and detection of optical-terahertz biphotons via spontaneous parametric downconversion. In Proc. ICLO (303).
Abstract: We study spontaneous parametric downconversion (SPDC) in the strongly non-degenerate regime when the idler wave hits the terahertz range. By using the hot-electron bolometer, for the first time the SPDC-generated idler-wave photons were directly detected in the terahertz frequency range. Spectrum of corresponding signal photons was measured using standard technique by the CCD camera. Possible applications of correlated optical-terahertz biphotons are discussed.
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Gao, J. R., Hajenius, M., Baselmans, J. J. A., Klapwijk, T. M., de Korte, P. A. J., Voronov, B., et al. (2004). NbN hot electron bolometer mixers with superior performance for space applications. In E. Armandillo, & B. Leone (Eds.), Proc. Int. workshop on low temp. electronics (pp. 11–17). Noordwijk.
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Maslennikova, A., Larionov, P., Ryabchun, S., Smirnov, A., Pentin, I., Vakhtomin, Y., et al. (2011). Noise equivalent power and dynamic range of NBN hot-electron bolometers. In Proc. MLPLIT (pp. 146–148). Modern laser physics and laser-information technologies for science and manufacture.
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Gol'tsman, G., Maslennikov, S., Finkel, M., Antipov, S., Kaurova, N., Grishina, E., et al. (2006). Nanostructured ultrathin NbN film as a terahertz hot-electron bolometer mixer. In Proc. MRS (Vol. 935, 210 (1 to 6)).
Abstract: Planar spiral antenna coupled and directly lens coupled NbN HEB mixer structures are studied. An additional MgO buffer layer between the superconducting film and Si substrate is introduced. The buffer layer enables us to increase the gain bandwidth of a HEB mixer due to better acoustic transparency. The gain bandwidth is widened as NbN film thickness decreases and amounts to 5.2 GHz. The noise temperature of antenna coupled mixer is 1300 and 3100 K at 2.5 and 3.8 THz respectively. The structure and composition of NbN films is investigated by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy methods. Noise performance degradation at LO frequencies more than 3 THz is due to the use of a planar antenna and signal loss in contacts between the antenna and the sensitive NbN bridge. The mixer is reconfigured for operation at higher frequencies in a manner that receiver’s noise temperature is only 2300 K (3 times of quantum limit) at LO frequency of 30 THz.
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Jiang, L., Zhang, W., Yao, Q. J., Lin, Z. H., Li, J., Shi, S. C., et al. (2005). Characterization of a quasi-optical NbN superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixer. In Proc. PIERS (Vol. 1, pp. 587–590).
Abstract: In this paper, we report the performance of a quasi-optical NbN superconducting HEB (hot electron bolome-ter) mixer measured at 500 GHz. The quasi-optical NbN superconducting HEB mixer is cryogenically cooled bya 4-K close-cycled refrigerator. Its receiver noise temperature and conversion gain are thoroughly investigatedfor different LO pumping levels and dc biases. The lowest receiver noise temperature is found to be approxi-mately 1200 K, and reduced to about 445 K after correcting theloss of the measurement system. The stabilityof the mixer’s IF output power is also demonstrated.
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Gol'tsman, G. N., Vachtomin, Y. B., Antipov, S. V., Finkel, M. I., Maslennikov, S. N., Smirnov, K. V., et al. (2005). NbN phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixer for terahertz heterodyne receivers. In Proc. SPIE (Vol. 5727, pp. 95–106).
Abstract: We present the results of our studies of NbN phonon-cooled HEB mixers at terahertz frequencies. The mixers were fabricated from NbN film deposited on a high-resistivity Si substrate with an MgO buffer layer. The mixer element was integrated with a log-periodic spiral antenna. The noise temperature measurements were performed at 2.5 THz and at 3.8 THz local oscillator frequencies for the 3 x 0.2 μm2 active area devices. The best uncorrected receiver noise temperatures found for these frequencies are 1300 K and 3100 K, respectively. A water vapour discharge laser was used as the LO source. The largest gain bandwidth of 5.2 GHz was achieved for a mixer based on 2 nm thick NbN film deposited on MgO layer over Si substrate. The gain bandwidth of the mixer based on 3.5 nm NbN film deposited on Si with MgO is 4.2 GHz and the noise bandwidth for the same device amounts to 5 GHz. We also present the results of our research into decrease of the direct detection contribution to the measured Y-factor and a possible error of noise temperature calculation. The use of a square nickel cell mesh as an IR-filter enabled us to avoid the effect of direct detection and measure apparent value of the noise temperature which was 16% less than that obtained using conventional black polyethylene IR-filter.
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Huebers, H. - W., Semenov, A., Richter, H., Birk, M., Krocka, M., Mair, U., et al. (2003). Superconducting hot electron bolometer as mixer for far-infrared heterodyne receivers. In T. G. Phillips, & J. Zmuidzinas (Eds.), Proc. SPIE (Vol. 4855, pp. 395–401). Presented at the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference, 4855. Tucson, USA: SPIE.
Abstract: Heterodyne receivers for applications in astronomy need quantum limited sensitivity. In instruments which are currently under development for SOFIA or Herschel superconducting hot electron bolometers (HEB) will be used to achieve this goal at frequencies above 1.4 THz. We present results of the development of a phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixer for GREAT, the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, which will be flown aboard SOFIA. The mixer is a small superconducting bridge incorporated in a planar feed antenna and a hyperhemispherical lens. Mixers with logarithmic-spiral and double-slot feed antennas have been investigated with respect to their noise temperature, conversion loss, linearity and beam pattern. At 2.5 THz a double sideband noise temperature of 2200 K was achieved. The conversion loss was 17 dB. The response of the mixer was linear up to 400 K load temperature. The performance was verified by measuring an emission line of methanol at 2.5 THz. The measured linewidth is in good agreement with the linewidth deduced from pressure broadening measurements at millimeter wavelength. The results demonstrate that the NbN HEB is very well suited as a mixer for far-infrared heterodyne receivers.
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Huebers, H. - W., Schubert, J., Semenov, A., Gol’tsman, G. N., Voronov, B. M., Gershenzon, E. M., et al. (1999). NbN phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometer as a mixer for THz heterodyne receivers. In J. M. Chamberlain (Ed.), Proc. SPIE (Vol. 3828, pp. 410–416). Spie.
Abstract: We have investigated a phonon-cooled NbN hot electron bolometric (HEB) mixer in the frequency range from 0.7 THz to 5.2 THz. The device was a 3.5 nm thin film with an in- plane dimension of 1.7 X 0.2 micrometers 2 integrated in a complementary logarithmic spiral antenna. The measured DSB receiver noise temperatures are 1500 K, 2200 K, 2600 K, 2900 K, 4000 K, 5600 K and 8800 K. The sensitivity fluctuation, the long term stability, and the antenna pattern were measured and the suitability of the mixer for a practical heterodyne receiver is discussed.
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Zhang, W., Li, N., Jiang, L., Ren, Y., Yao, Q. - J., Lin, Z. - H., et al. (2008). Dependence of noise temperature of quasi-optical superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixers on bath temperature and optical-axis displacement. In C. Zhang, & X. - C. Zhang (Eds.), Proc. SPIE (Vol. 6840, 684007 (1 to 8)). Spie.
Abstract: It is known that the increase of bath temperature results in the decrease of critical current of superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers owing to the depression of superconductivity, thus leading to the degradation of the mixer’s sensitivity. Here we report our study on the effect of bath temperature on the heterodyne mixing performance of quasi-optical superconducting NbN HEB mixers incorporated with a two-arm log-spiral antenna. The correlation between the bath temperature, critical current, LO power requirement and noise temperature is investigated at 0.5 THz. Furthermore, the heterodyne mixing performance of quasi-optical superconducting NbN HEB mixers is examined while there is an optical-axis displacement between the center of the extended hemispherical silicon lens and the superconducting NbN HEB device, which is placed on the back of the lens. Detailed experimental results and analysis are presented.
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