Vystavkin, A. N. (1999). Estimation of noise equivalent power and design analysis of an andreev reflection hot-electron microbolometer for submillimeter radioastronomy. Rus. J. Radio Electron., (10).
Abstract: Results of theoretical estimations and measurements of characteristics of an Andreev reflection hot-electron microbolometer for submillimeter radioastronomy made by different researchers are reviewed and analysed. Peculiarities and characteristics of the microbolometers using two types of microthermometer for measurement of the electron temperature increment under influence of the radiation: the SIN-junction and the transition-edge sensor (TES) with electrothermal feedback – are compared. Advantages of the microbolometer with the second type of the microthermometer when the TES is used simultaneously as the absorber of radiation are shown. Methods of achievement of the best noise equivalent power of the microbolometer in such version as well as methods of the matching the microbolometer with the incident radiation flow using planar antennas and with the channel of output signal measurement using a SQUID-picoammeter are considered.
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Zhang, J., Pearlman, A., Slysz, W., Verevkin, A., Sobolewski, R., Okunev, O., et al. (2003). Infrared picosecond superconducting single-photon detectors for CMOS circuit testing. In CLEO/QELS (Cmv4). Optical Society of America.
Abstract: Novel, NbN superconducting single-photon detectors have been developed for ultrafast, high quantum efficiency detection of single quanta of infrared radiation. Our devices have been successfully implemented in a commercial VLSI CMOS circuit testing system.
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Zhang, W., Miao, W., Li, S. L., Zhou, K. M., Shi, S. C., Gao, J. R., et al. (2013). Measurement of the spectral response of spiral-antenna coupled superconducting hot electron bolometers. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 23(3), 2300804.
Abstract: Measured spectral response of spiral-antenna coupled superconducting hot electron bolometers (HEBs) often drops dramatically at frequencies that are still within the frequency range of interest (e.g., ~ 5 THz). This is inconsistent with the implied low receiver noise temperatures from the same measurements. To understand this discrepancy, we exhaustively test and calibrate the thermal sources used in Fourier transform spectrometer measurements. We first investigate the absolute emission spectrum of high-pressure Hg arc lamp, then measure the spectral response of two spiral-antenna coupled NbN HEBs with a Martin-Puplett interferometer as spectrometer and 77 K blackbody as broadband signal source. The measured absolute emission spectrum of Hg arc lamp is proportional to frequency, corresponding to an equivalent blackbody temperature of 4000 K at 1 THz, 1500 K at 3 THz, and 800 K at 5 THz, respectively. Measured spectral response of spiral-antenna coupled NbN HEBs, corrected for air absorption, is nearly flat in the frequency range of 0.5-4 THz, consistent with simulated coupling efficiency between HEB and spiral-antenna. These results explain the discrepancy, and prove that spiral-antenna coupled superconducting NbN HEBs work well in a wide frequency range. In addition, this calibration method and these results are broadly applicable to other quasi-optical THz receivers.
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Zhang, Z., Zhang, J., Wu, L., Zhang, Y., Zhao, Y., & Su, J. (2013). Photon-counting chirped amplitude modulation lidar using a smart premixing method. Opt. Lett., 38(21), 4389–4392.
Abstract: We proposed a new premixing method for photon-counting chirped amplitude modulation lidar (PCCAML). Earlier studies used the counting results of the returned signal detected by a Geiger mode avalanche photodiode detector (Gm-APD) to mix with the reference signal, called the postmixing method. We use an alternative method known as the premixing method, in which the reference signal is used to directly modulate the sampling gate width of the Gm-APD, and the mixing of the returned signal and the reference signal is completed before the Gm-APD. This premixing method is more flexible and may perform better than the postmixing method in terms of signal-to-noise ratio by cutting down a separated mixer commonly used in the postmixing lidar system. Furthermore, this premixing method lowers the demand for the sampling frequency of the Gm-APD. It allows the use of a much wider modulation bandwidth to improve the range accuracy and resolution. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to use the premixing method in the PCCAML system, which will benefit future lidar applications.
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Zhizhon, Y., & Majedi, H. A. (2009). Optoelectronic mixing in the NbN superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. In Proc. SPIE (Vol. 3786, 9).
Abstract: In this paper, we present our experimental results on the electrically pumped optoelectronic mixing effect exhibited in a niobium nitride (NbN) superconducting nanowire. The experimental setup in order to test the mixer has been reported in detail. This superconductive nanowire optoelectronic mixer demonstrates photodetection and mixing in an integrated manner. We have explored both effects under a great variety of external conditions, such as temperature and bias current, in order to seek potential ways toward quantum optoelectronic detection and mixing by such nanowire device.
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