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Author (down) Siddiqi, I.; Prober, D. E.
Title Nb–Au bilayer hot-electron bolometers for low-noise THz heterodyne detection Type Journal Article
Year 2004 Publication Applied Physics Letters Abbreviated Journal Appl. Phys. Lett.
Volume 84 Issue 8 Pages 1404
Keywords HEB, mixers, dynamic range, saturation, LO power, local oscillator power, Nb
Abstract The sensitivity of present Nb diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers is not quantum limited, and can be improved by reducing the superconducting transition temperature TC. Lowering TC reduces thermal fluctuations, resulting in a decrease of the mixer noise temperature TM. However, lower TC mixers have reduced dynamic range and saturate more easily due to background noise. We present 30 GHz microwave measurements on a bilayer HEB system, Nb–Au, in which TC can be tuned with Au layer thickness to obtain the maximum sensitivity for a given noise background. These measurements are intended as a guide for the optimization of THz mixers. Using a Nb–Au mixer with TC = 1.6 K, we obtain TM = 50 K with 2 nW of local oscillator (LO) power. Good mixer performance is observed over a wide range of LO power and bias voltage and such a device should not exhibit saturation in a THz receiver.
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ISSN 0003-6951 ISBN Medium
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 571
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Author (down) Shurakov, Alexander; Tong, Edward; Blundell, Raymond; Gol'tsman, Gregory
Title Microwave stabilization of HEB mixer by a microchip controller Type Conference Article
Year 2012 Publication IEEE MTT-S international microwave symposium digest Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 1-3
Keywords HEB mixer stability, microwave injection, Allan variance, Allan time
Abstract The stability of a Hot Electron Bolometer (HEB) mixer can be improved by the use of microwave injection. In this article we report a refinement of this approach. We introduce a microchip controller to facilitate the implementation of the stabilization scheme, and demonstrate that the feedback loop effectively suppresses drifts in the HEB bias current, leading to an improvement in the receiver stability. The measured Allan time of the mixer's IF output power is increased to > 10 s.
Address Montreal, QC, Canada
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Call Number Serial 857
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Author (down) Shurakov, Alexander; Tong, Cheuk-yu E.; Blundell, Raymond; Gol’tsman, Gregory
Title A microwave pumped HEB direct detector using a homodyne readout scheme Type Abstract
Year 2014 Publication Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.
Volume Issue Pages 129
Keywords waveguide NbN HEB detector, NEP
Abstract We report the results of our study on the noise performance of a fast THz detector based on the repurpose of hot electron bolometer mixer (HEB). Instead of operating with an elevated bath temperature, microwave power is injected into the HEB device, which enhances the sensitivity of the detector and at the same time provide a mechanism for reading out impedance changes of the device induced by the modulated incident THz radiation [1]. We have demonstrated an improvement of the detector’s optical noise equivalent power (NEP). Furthermore, by introducing a homodyne readout scheme based on a room temperature microwave mixer, the dynamic range of the detector is increased. The HEB devices used in this work were made of 4 nm thick NbN film. The detector chips were installed into a waveguide mixer block fitted with a corrugated horn, mounted on the cold plate of a liquid helium cryostat. The HEBs were operated at a bath temperature of 4.2 K. The signal beam was terminated on black bodies at ambient and liquid nitrogen temperatures. A chopper wheel placed in front of the cryostat window operating at a frequency of 1.48 kHz modulated the input load temperature of the detector. A cold mesh filter, centered at 830 GHz, was used to define the input signal power bandwidth. Microwave was injected through a broadband directional coupler inside the cryostat. Our experiments were mostly conducted at a pump frequency of 1.5 GHz. The reflected microwave power from the HEB device was fed into a cryogenic low noise amplifier (LNA). The output of the LNA was connected to the RF input port of a room temperature microwave mixer, which beat the reflected signal from the HEB using a copy of the original 1.5 GHz injection signal in a homodyne demodulation scheme. The amplitude of the detected power was measured by a lock-in amplifier, which was synchronized to the chopper frequency. Preliminary results yield an optical NEP of ~1 pW/ Hz 1/2 which corresponds to an improvement of a factor of 3 compared to [1], driven mainly by a lowering of the system noise floor. The dynamic range was also increased by similar amount. References 1. A. Shurakov et al. “A Microwave Pumped Hot Electron Bolometric Direct Detector,” submitted on Oct 18, 2013 to Appl. Phys. Let.
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Call Number Serial 1365
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Author (down) Shurakov, Alexander; Maslennikov, Sergey; Tong, Cheuk-yu E.; Gol’tsman, Gregory
Title Performance of an HEB direct detector utilizing a microwave reflection readout scheme Type Conference Article
Year 2015 Publication Proc. 26th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 26th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.
Volume Issue Pages 36
Keywords HEB detector
Abstract We report the results of our study on the performance of a hot electron bolometric (HEB) direct detector, operated by a microwave pump. The HEB devices used in this work were made from NbN thin film deposited on high resistivity silicon with an in-situ fabrication process. The experimental setup employed is similar to the one described in [1]. The detector chips were glued to a silicon lens clamped to a copper holder mounted on the cold plate of a liquid helium cryostat. Thermal link between the lens and the holder was maintained by a thin indium shim. The HEBs were operated at a bath temperature of about 4.4 K. Conventional phonon pump, commonly realized by raising the bath temperature of the detector, was substituted by a microwave one. In this case, a CW microwave signal is injected to the device through a directional coupler connected directly to the detector holder. The power incident on the HEB device was typically 1-2 μW, and the pump frequency was in the range of 0.5-1.5 GHz. The signal sources were 2 black bodies held at temperatures of 295 K and 77 K. A chopper wheel placed in front of the cryostat window switched the input to the detector between the 2 sources. A modulation frequency of several kilohertz was chosen in order to reduce the effects of the HEB’s flicker noise. A cold mesh filter was used to define the input bandwidth of the detector. The reflected microwave signal from the HEB device was fed into a low noise amplifier, the output of which is connected to a room temperature Schottky microwave power detector. This Schottky detector, in conjunction with a lock-in amplifier, demodulated the input signal modulation from the copper wheel. As the input load was switched, the impedance of the HEB device at the microwave pump frequency also changed in response to the incident signal power variation. Therefore the reflected microwave power follows the incident signal modulation. The derived responsivity from this detection system nicely correlates with the HEB impedance. In order to provide a quantitative description of the impedance variation of the HEB device and the impact of a microwave pump, we have numerically solved the heat balance equations written for the NbN bridge and its surrounding thermal heat sink [2]. Our model also accounts for the impact of the operating frequency of the detector because of non-uniform absorption of low-frequency photons across the NbN bridge [3]. In our measurements we varied the signal source wavelength from 2 mm down to near infrared range, and hence we indirectly performed the impedance measurements at frequencies below, around and far beyond the superconducting gap. Preliminary results show good agreement between the experiment and theoretical prediction. Further measurements are still in progress. [1] A. Shurakov et al., “A Microwave Reflection Readout Scheme for Hot Electron Bolometric Direct Detector”, to appear in IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Tech., 2015. [2] S. Maslennikov, “RF heating efficiency of the terahertz superconducting hot-electron bolometer”, http://arxiv.org/pdf/1404.5276v5.pdf, 2014. [3] W. Miao et al., “Non-uniform absorption of terahertz radiation on superconducting hot electron bolometer microbridges”, Appl. Phys. Let., 104, 052605, 2014.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1158
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Author (down) Shurakov, A.; Tong, Cheuk-yu E.; Grimes, P.; Blundell, R.; Golt'sman, G.
Title A microwave reflection readout scheme for hot electron bolometric direct detector Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Technol.
Volume 5 Issue Pages 81-84
Keywords HEB detectors
Abstract In this paper, we propose and present data from a fast THz detector based on the repurpose of hot electron bolometer mixers (HEB) fabricated from superconducting NbN thinfilm. This detector is essentially a traditional NbN bolometer element that operates under the influence of a microwave pump. The in-jected microwave power serves the dual purpose of enhancing the detector sensitivity and reading out the impedance changes of the device in response to incidentTHz radiation. We have measured an optical Noise Equivalent Power of 4 pW/ Hz for our detector at a bath temperature of 4.2 K. The measurement frequency was 0.83 THz and the modulation frequency was 1.48 kHz. The readout

scheme is versatile and facilitates both high-speed operation as well as multi-pixel applications.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number RPLAB @ atomics90 @ Serial 950
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Author (down) Shurakov, A.; Tong, C.-Y. E.; Blundell, R.; Kaurova, N.; Voronov, B.; Gol'tsman, G.
Title Microwave stabilization of a HEB mixer in a pulse-tube cryocooler Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.
Volume 23 Issue 3 Pages 1501504-1501504
Keywords NbN HEB mixers
Abstract We report the results of our study of the stability of an 800 GHz hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer cooled with a pulse-tube cryocooler. Pulse-tube cryocoolers introduce temperature fluctuations as well as mechanical vibrations at a frequency of ~1 Hz, both of which can cause receiver gain fluctuations at that frequency. In our system, the motor of the cryocooler was separated from the cryostat to minimize mechanical vibrations, leaving thermal effects as the dominant source of the receiver gain fluctuations. We measured root mean square temperature variations of the 4 K stage of ~7 mK. The HEB mixer was pumped by a solid state local oscillator at 810 GHz. The root mean square current fluctuations at the low noise operating point (1.50 mV, 56.5 μA) were ~0.12 μA, and were predominantly due to thermal fluctuations. To stabilize the bias current, microwave radiation was injected to the HEB mixer. The injected power level was set by a proportional-integral-derivative controller, which completely compensates for the bias current oscillations induced by the pulse-tube cryocooler. Significant improvement in the Allan variance of the receiver output power was obtained, and an Allan time of 5 s was measured.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1051-8223 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1372
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Author (down) Shurakov, A.; Seliverstov, S.; Kaurova, N.; Finkel, M.; Voronov, B.; Goltsman, G.
Title Input bandwidth of hot electron bolometer with spiral antenna Type Journal Article
Year 2012 Publication IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Technol.
Volume 2 Issue 4 Pages 400-405
Keywords NbN HEB bolometers bandwidth, log-spiral antenna
Abstract We report the results of our study of the input bandwidth of hot electron bolometers (HEB) embedded into the planar log-spiral antenna. The sensitive element is made of the ultrathin superconducting NbN film patterned as a bridge at the feed of the antenna. The contacts between the antenna and a sensitive element are made from in situ deposited gold (i.e., deposited over NbN film without breaking vacuum), which gives high quality contacts and makes the response of the HEB at higher frequencies less affected by the RF loss. An accurate experimental spectroscopic procedure is demonstrated that leads to the confirmation of the wide ( 8 THz) bandwidth in this antenna coupled device.
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ISSN 2156-342X ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1161
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Author (down) Shurakov, A.; Lobanov, Y.; Goltsman, G.
Title Superconducting hot-electron bolometer: from the discovery of hot-electron phenomena to practical applications Type Journal Article
Year 2015 Publication Supercond. Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal Supercond. Sci. Technol.
Volume 29 Issue 2 Pages 023001
Keywords HEB
Abstract The discovery of hot-electron phenomena in a thin superconducting film in the last century was followed by numerous experimental studies of its appearance in different materials aiming for a better understanding of the phenomena and consequent implementation of terahertz detection systems for practical applications. In contrast to the competitors such as superconductor-insulator-superconductor tunnel junctions and Schottky diodes, the hot electron bolometer (HEB) did not demonstrate any frequency limitation of the detection mechanism. The latter, in conjunction with a decent performance, rapidly made the HEB mixer the most attractive candidate for heterodyne observations at frequencies above 1 THz. The successful operation of practical instruments (the Heinrich Hertz Telescope, the Receiver Lab Telescope, APEX, SOFIA, Hershel) ensures the importance of the HEB technology despite the lack of rigorous theoretical routine for predicting the performance. In this review, we provide a summary of experimental and theoretical studies devoted to understanding the HEB physics, and an overview of various fabrication routes and materials.
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Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0953-2048 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1156
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Author (down) Shcherbatenko, Michael; Lobanov, Yury; Finkel, Matvey; Maslennikov, Sergey; Pentin, Ivan; Semenov, Alexander; Titova, Nadezhda; Kaurova, Natalya; Voronov, Boris M.; Rodin, Alexander; Klapwijk, Teunis M.; Gol’tsman, Gregory N.
Title Development of a 30 THz heterodyne receiver based on a hot-electron-bolometer mixer Type Abstract
Year 2014 Publication Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.
Volume Issue Pages 122
Keywords mid-IR NbN HEB mixers, GaAs substrates
Abstract We present new Hot-Electron-Bolometer (HEB) mixers designed for mid-IR spectroscopy targeting astrophysical and geophysical observations where high sensitivity and spectral resolution are required. The mixers are made of an ultrathin NbN film deposited on GaAs substrates. Two entirely different types of the devices have been fabricated. The first type is based on a direct radiation coupling concept and the mixing devices are shaped as squares of 5×5 μm 2 (which corresponds to the diffraction limit at the chosen wavelength) and 10×10 μm 2 (which was used to establish a possible influence of the contact pads on the radiation absorption). The second type utilizes a spiral antenna designed with HFSS. The fabrication and layout of the devices as well as the performance comparison will be presented. During the experiments, the HEB mixer was installed on the cold plate of a LHe cryostat. A germanium window and an extended semi-spherical germanium lens are used to couple the radiation. The cryostat is equipped with a germanium optical filter of thickness 0.5 mm and with a center wavelength of 10.6 mμ. The incident power absorption is measured by using the isothermal method. As a Local Oscillator, a 10.6 micrometers line of a CO2 gas laser is used. We further characterize the frequency response of the spiral antenna with a FIR-spectrometer. The noise characteristics of the mixers are determined from a room temperature cold load and a heated black body at ~600 K as a hot load.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1364
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Author (down) Shcherbatenko, Michael; Lobanov, Yury; Benderov, Oleg; Shurakov, Alexander; Ignatov, Anton; Titova, Nadezhda; Finkel, Matvey; Maslennikov, Sergey; Kaurova, Natalya; Voronov, Boris M.; Rodin, Alexander; Klapwijk, Teunis M.; Gol'tsman, Gregory N.
Title Antenna-coupled 30 THz hot electron bolometer mixers Type Conference Article
Year 2015 Publication Proc. 26th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 26th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.
Volume Issue Pages 27
Keywords HEB mixer, IR, mid-IR, 30 THz, antenna-coupled
Abstract We report on design and characterization of a superconducting Hot Electron Bolometer Mixer integrated with a logarithmic spiral antenna for mid-IR range observations. The antenna parameters have been adjusted to achieve the ultimate performance at 10 µm (30 THz) range where O3, NH3, CO2, CH4, N2O,…. lines in the Earth’s atmosphere, in planetary atmospheres and in the interstellar space can be observed. The HEB mixer is made of a thin NbN film deposited onto a GaAs substrate. To couple the radiation we rely on the quasioptical approach: the device is glued to a semi-spherical germanium lens with diameter~ 3 mm. A wet cryostat equipped with a germanium window and narrow band-pass filter is used to characterize the antenna and estimate the mixer performance.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1157
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Author (down) Shcherbatenko, M.; Tretyakov, I.; Lobanov, Yu.; Maslennikov, S. N.; Kaurova, N.; Finkel, M.; Voronov, B.; Goltsman, G.; Klapwijk, T. M.
Title Nonequilibrium interpretation of DC properties of NbN superconducting hot electron bolometers Type Journal Article
Year 2016 Publication Appl. Phys. Lett. Abbreviated Journal
Volume 109 Issue 13 Pages 132602
Keywords HEB mixer, contacts
Abstract We present a physically consistent interpretation of the dc electrical properties of niobiumnitride (NbN)-based superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixers, using concepts of nonequilibrium superconductivity. Through this, we clarify what physical information can be extracted from the resistive transition and the dc current-voltage characteristics, measured at suitably chosen temperatures, and relevant for device characterization and optimization. We point out that the intrinsic spatial variation of the electronic properties of disordered superconductors, such as NbN, leads to a variation from device to device.
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Call Number Serial 1107
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Author (down) Semenov, Alexei; Richter, Heiko; Smirnov, Konstantin; Voronov, Boris; Gol'tsman, Gregory; Hübers, Heinz-Wilhelm
Title The development of terahertz superconducting hot-electron bolometric mixers Type Journal Article
Year 2004 Publication Supercond. Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal Supercond. Sci. Technol.
Volume 17 Issue 5 Pages 436-439
Keywords NbN HEB mixers
Abstract We present recent advances in the development of NbN hot-electron bolometric (HEB) mixers for flying terahertz heterodyne receivers. Three important issues have been addressed: the quality of the source NbN films, the effect of the bolometer size on the spectral properties of different planar feed antennas, and the local oscillator (LO) power required for optimal operation of the mixer. Studies of the NbN films with an atomic force microscope indicated a surface structure that may affect the performance of the smallest mixers. Measured spectral gain and noise temperature suggest that at frequencies above 2.5 THz the spiral feed provides better overall performance than the double-slot feed. Direct measurements of the optimal LO power support earlier estimates made in the framework of the uniform mixer model.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 357
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Author (down) Semenov, Alexei; Il'yin, Konstantin; Siegel, Michael; Smirnov, Andrey; Pavlov, Sergey; Richter, Heiko; Hübers, Heinz-Wilhelm
Title Intermediate frequency bandwidth of a hot-electron mixer: Comparision with bolometric models Type Conference Article
Year 2006 Publication Proc. 17th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages 73-76
Keywords HEB
Abstract
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Publisher Place of Publication Paris, France Editor
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 537
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Author (down) Semenov, Alexei D; Gol'tsman, Gregory N; Sobolewski, Roman
Title Hot-electron effect in superconductors and its applications for radiation sensors Type Journal Article
Year 2002 Publication Superconductor Science and Technology Abbreviated Journal Supercond. Sci. Technol.
Volume 15 Issue 4 Pages R1-R16
Keywords HEB, SSPD
Abstract The paper reviews the main aspects of nonequilibrium hot-electron phenomena in superconductors and various theoretical models developed to describe the hot-electron effect. We discuss implementation of the hot-electron avalanche mechanism in superconducting radiation sensors and present the most successful practical devices, such as terahertz mixers and direct intensity detectors, for far-infrared radiation. Our presentation also includes the novel approach to hot-electron quantum detection implemented in superconducting x-ray to optical photon counters.
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ISSN 0953-2048 ISBN Medium
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 416
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Author (down) Semenov, Alexei D.; Richter, Heiko; Hubers, Heinz-Wilhelm; Gunther, Burghardt.; Smirnov, Andrey; Il'in, Konstantin S.; Siegel, Michael; Karamarkovic, Jugoslav P.
Title Terahertz performance of integrated lens antennas with a hot-electron bolometer Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Techn. Abbreviated Journal
Volume 55 Issue 2 Pages 239-247
Keywords HEB, lens antenna
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ISSN 0018-9480 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 538
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