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| Author |
Tong, C. Edward; Trifonov, Andrey; Blundell, Raymond; Shurakov, Alexander; Gol’tsman, Gregory |
| Title |
A digital terahertz power meter based on an NbN thin film |
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Abstract |
| Year |
2014 |
Publication |
Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
Abbreviated Journal  |
Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
170 |
| Keywords |
waveguide NbN HEB mixers |
| Abstract |
We have further studied the effect of subjecting a superconducting Hot Electron Bolometer (HEB) element made from an NbN thin film to microwave radiation. Since the photon energy is weak, the microwave radiation does not simply heat the film, but generates a bi-static state, switching between the superconducting and normal states, upon the application of a small voltage bias. Indeed, a relaxation oscillation of a few MHz has previously been reported in this regime [1]. Switching between the superconducting and normal states modulates the reflected microwave pump power from the device. A simple homodyne setup readily recovers the spontaneous switching waveform in the time domain. The switching frequency is a function of both the bias voltage (DC heating) and the applied microwave power. In this work, we use a 0.8 THz HEB waveguide mixer for the purpose of demonstration. The applied microwave pump, coupled through a directional coupler, is at 1 GHz. Since the pump power is of the order of a few μW, a room temperature amplifier is sufficient to amplify the reflected pump power from the HEB mixer, which beats with the microwave source in a homodyne set-up. After further amplification, the switching waveform is passed onto a frequency counter. The typical frequency of the switching pulses is 3-5 MHz. It is found that the digital frequency count increases with higher microwave pump power. When the HEB mixer is subjected to additional optical power at 0.8 THz, the frequency count also increases. When we vary the incident optical power by using a wire grid attenuator, a linear relationship is observed between the frequency count and the applied optical power, over at least an order of magnitude of power. This phenomenon can be exploited to develop a digital power meter, using a very simple electronics setup. Further experiments are under way to determine the range of linearity and the accuracy of calibration transfer from the microwave to the THz regime. References 1. Y. Zhuang, and S. Yngvesson, “Detection and interpretation of bistatic effects in NbN HEB devices,” Proc. 13 th Int. Symp. Space THz Tech., 2002, pp. 463–472. |
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1366 |
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Cherednichenko, S.; Drakinskiy, V.; Baubert, J.; Lecomte, B.; Dauplay, F.; Krieg, J.-M.; Delorme, Y.; Feret, A.; Hübers, H.-W.; Semenov, A. D.; Gol’tsman, G. N. |
| Title |
2.5 THz multipixel heterodyne receiver based on NbN HEB mixers |
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Abstract |
| Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
| Volume |
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Issue |
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Pages |
112 |
| Keywords |
NbN HEB mixers |
| Abstract |
A 16 pixel heterodyne receiver for 2.5 THz has been developed based on NbN superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. The receiver uses a quasioptical RF coupling approach where HEB mixers are integrated into double dipole antennas on 1.5μm thick Si3N4 / SiO2 membranes. Spherical mirrors (one per pixel) and backshort distance from the antenna have been used to design the output mixer beam profile. The camera design allows all 16 pixel IF readout in parallel. Measurements of the mixers sensitivity and the input RF band are presented, and compared against calculations. |
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1419 |
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Semenov, A.; Richter, H.; Smirnov, A.; Günther, B.; Hübers, H.-W.; Il’in, K.; Siegel, M.; Gol’tsman, G.; Drakinskiy, V.; Merkel, H.; Karamarkovic, J. |
| Title |
Development of HEB mixers for GREAT and for security screening |
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Abstract |
| Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
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184 |
| Keywords |
NbN HEB mixers, GREAT |
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We report the study on the quasioptical coupling efficiency and the gain bandwidth of NbN hot-electron bolometer mixers developed for the 4.7 THz channel of the German receiver for Astronomy at THz-frequencies (GREAT) and for security screening at subterahertz frequencies. Radiation coupling efficiency and directive properties of integrated lens antennas with log-spiral, log-periodic and double-slot planar feeds coupled to a hot-electron bolometer were experimentally studied at frequencies from 1 THz to 6 THz and compared with simulations based on the method of moments and the physical-optics ray tracing. For all studied antennas the modeled spectral dependence of the coupling efficiency fits to the experimental data obtained with both Fourier transform spectroscopy and noise temperature measurements only if the complex impedance of the bolometer is explicitly taken into account. Our experimental data did not indicate any noticeable contribution of the quantum noise to the system noise temperature. The experimentally observed deviation of the beam pattern from the model prediction increases with frequency and is most likely due to a non- ideality of the presently used lenses. Study of the intermediate frequency mixer gain at local oscillator (LO) frequencies between 2.5 THz and 0.3 THz showed an increase of the gain bandwidth at low LO frequencies that was understood as the contribution of the direct interaction of magnetic vortices with the radiation field. We have found that the non- homogeneous hot-spot model more adequately describes variation of the intermediate frequency bandwidth with the applied local oscillator power than any of uniform mixer models. The state-of-the-day performance of the GREAT 4.7-THz channel and the 0.8-THz security scanner will be presented. |
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1420 |
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Ryabchun, Sergey; Tong, Cheuk-yu Edward; Blundell, Raymond; Kimberk, Robert; Gol’tsman, Gregory |
| Title |
Stabilisation of a terahertz hot-electron bolometer mixer with microwave feedback control |
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Conference Article |
| Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
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Pages |
193-198 |
| Keywords |
waveguide NbN HEB mixers, Allan variance, stability |
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We report on implementation of microwave feedback control loop to stabilise the performance of an HEB mixer receiver. It is shown that the receiver sensitivity increases by a factor of 4 over a 16-minute scan, and the corresponding Allan time increases up to 10 seconds, as opposed to an open loop value of 1 second. Our experiments also demonstrate that the receiver sensitivity is limited by the intermediate frequency chain. |
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1421 |
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Maslennikov, S. N.; Finkel, M. I.; Antipov, S. V.; Polyakov, S. L.; Zhang, W.; Ozhegov, R.; Vachtomin, Yu. B.; Svechnikov, S. I.; Smirnov, K. V.; Korotetskaya, Yu. P.; Kaurova, N. S.; Gol'tsman, G. N.; Voronov, B. M. |
| Title |
Spiral antenna coupled and directly coupled NbN HEB mixers in the frequency range from 1 to 70 THz |
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Conference Article |
| Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Proc. 17th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. 17th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
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Pages |
177-179 |
| Keywords |
directly coupled NbN HEB mixers |
| Abstract |
We investigate both antenna coupled and directly coupled HEB mixers at several LO frequencies within the range of 2.5 THz to 70 THz. H20 (2.5+10.7 THz), and CO2 (30 THz) gas discharge lasers are used as the local oscillators. The noise temperature of antenna coupled mixers is measured at LO frequencies of 2.5 THz, 3.8 THz, and 30 THz. The results for both antenna coupled and directly coupled mixer types are compared. The devices with in—plane dimensions of 5x5 ,um 2 are pumped by LO radiation at 10.7 THz. The directly coupled HEB demonstrates nearly flat dependence of responsivity on frequency in the range of 25+64 THz. |
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Paris, France |
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386 |
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