Koshelets, V. P., Dmitriev, P. N., Ermakov, A. B., Sobolev, A. S., Torgashin, M. Y., Kurin, V. V., et al. (2005). Optimization of the phase-locked flux-flow oscillator for the submm integrated receiver. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 15(2), 964–967.
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Koshelets, V. P., Shitov, S. V., Ermakov, A. B., Filippenko, L. V., Koryukin, O. V., Khudchenko, A. V., et al. (2005). Superconducting integrated receiver for TELIS. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 15(2), 960–963.
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Koshelets, V. P., Ermakov, A. B., Filippenko, L. V., Khudchenko, A. V., Kiselev, O. S., Sobolev, A. S., et al. (2007). Superconducting integrated submillimeter receiver for TELIS. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 17(2), 336–342.
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Torgashin, M. Y., Koshelets, V. P., Dmitriev, P. N., Ermakov, A. B., Filippenko, L. V., & Yagoubov, P. A. (2007). Superconducting Integrated Receiver Based on Nb-AlN-NbN-Nb Circuits. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 17(2), 379–382.
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Baselmans, J. J. A., Hajenius, M., Gao, J. R., Baryshev, A., Kooi, J., Klapwijk, T. M., et al. (2005). NbN hot electron bolometer mixers: sensitivity, LO power, direct detection and stability. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 15(2), 484–489.
Abstract: We demonstrate that the performance of NbN lattice cooled hot electron bolometer mixers depends strongly on the interface quality between the bolometer and the contact structure. Both the receiver noise temperature and the gain bandwidth can be improved by a factor of 2 by cleaning the interface and adding an additional superconducting interlayer to the contact pad. Using this we obtain a double sideband receiver noise temperature of 950 K at 2.5 THz and 4.3 K, using a 0.4/spl times/4 /spl mu/m HEB mixer with a spiral antenna. At the same bias point, we obtain an IF gain bandwidth of 6 GHz. To comply with current demands on THz mixers for use in space based receivers we reduce the device size to 0.15/spl times/1 /spl mu/m and use a twin slot antenna. We report measurements of the noise temperature, LO power requirement, stability and the direct detection effect, using a mixer with a 1.6 THz twin slot antenna and a 1.462 THz solid state LO source with calibrated output power.
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Schwaab, G. W., Sirmain, G., Schubert, J., Hubers, H. - W., Gol'tsman, G., Cherednichenko, S., et al. (1999). Investigation of NbN phonon-cooled HEB mixers at 2.5 THz. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 9(2), 4233–4236.
Abstract: The development of superconducting hot electron bolometric (HEB) mixers has been a big step forward in the direction of quantum noise limited mixer performance at THz frequencies. Such mixers are crucial for the upcoming generation of airborne and spaceborne THz heterodyne receivers. In this paper we report on new results on a phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixer using e-beam lithography. The superconducting film is 3 nm thick. The mixer is 0.2 μm long and 1.5 μm wide and it is integrated in a spiral antenna on a Si substrate. The device is quasi-optically coupled through a Si lens and a dielectric beam combiner to the radiation of an optically pumped FIR ring gas laser cavity. The performance of the mixer at different THz frequencies from 0.69 to 2.55 THz with an emphasis on 2.52 THz is demonstrated. At 2.52 THz minimum DSB noise temperatures of 4200 K have been achieved at an IF of 1.5 GHz and a bandwidth of 40 MHz with the mixer mounted in a cryostat and a 0.8 m long signal path in air.
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Yang, J. K. W., Kerman, A. J., Dauler, E. A., Anant, V., Rosfjord, K. M., & Berggren, K. K. (2007). Modeling the electrical and thermal response of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 17(2), 581–585.
Abstract: We modeled the response of superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors during a photodetection event, taking into consideration only the thermal and electrical properties of a superconducting NbN nanowire on a sapphire substrate. Our calculations suggest that heating which occurs after the formation of a photo-induced resistive barrier is responsible for the generation of a measurable voltage pulse. We compared this numerical result with experimental data of a voltage pulse from a slow device, i.e. large kinetic inductance, and obtained a good fit. Using this electro-thermal model, we estimated the temperature rise and the resistance buildup in the nanowire, and the return current at which the nanowire becomes superconducting again. We also show that the reset time of these photodetectors can be decreased by the addition of a series resistance and provide supporting experimental data. Finally we present preliminary results on a detector latching behavior that can also be explained using the electro-thermal model.
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Ryabchun, S., Tong, C. - Y. E., Paine, S., Lobanov, Y., Blundell, R., & Goltsman, G. (2009). Temperature resolution of an HEB receiver at 810 GHz. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 19(3), 293–296.
Abstract: We present the results of direct measurements of the temperature resolution of an HEB receiver operating at 810 GHz, in both continuum and spectroscopic modes. In the continuum mode, the input of the receiver was switched between black bodies with different physical temperatures. With a system noise temperature of around 1100 K, the receiver was able to resolve loads which differed in temperature by about 1 K over an integration time of 5 seconds. This resolution is significantly worse than the value of 0.07 K given by the radiometer equation. In the spectroscopic mode, a gas cell filled with carbonyl sulphide (OCS) gas was used and the emission line at 813.3537060 GHz was measured using the receiver in conjunction with a digital spectrometer. From the observed spectra, we determined that the measurement uncertainty of the equivalent emission temperature was 2.8 K for an integration time of 0.25 seconds and a spectral resolution of 12 MHz, compared to a 1.4 K temperature resolution given by the radiometer equation. This relative improvement is due to the fact that at short integration times the contribution from 1/f noise and drift are less dominant. In both modes, the temperature resolution was improved by about 40% with the use of a feedback loop which adjusted the level of an injected microwave radiation to maintain a constant operating current of the HEB mixer. This stabilization scheme has proved to be very effective to keep the temperature resolution of the HEB receiver to close to the theoretical value given by the radiometer equation.
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Kawakami, A., Saito, S., & Hyodo, M. (2011). Fabrication of nano-antennas for superconducting Infrared detectors. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 21(3), 632–635.
Abstract: To improve the response performance of superconducting infrared detectors, we have developed a fabrication process for nano-antennas. A nano-antenna consists of a dipole antenna, and a superconducting thin film strip placed in the antenna's center. By measuring the transition temperature of the superconducting strips, we confirmed that their superconductivity maintained a good condition after the nano-antenna fabrication process. We also evaluated nano-antenna characteristics using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The evaluated antenna length and width were respectively set at around 2400 nm and 400 nm, and the antennas were placed at intervals of several micrometers around the area of 1 mm2 . In an evaluation of spectral transmission characteristics, clear absorption caused by antenna effects was observed at around 1400 cm-1. High polarization dependencies were also observed.
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Galeazzi, M. (2011). Fundamental noise processes in TES devices. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 21(3), 267–271.
Abstract: Microcalorimeters and bolometers are noise-limited devices, therefore, a proper understanding of all noise sources is essential to predict and interpret their performance. In this paper, I review the fundamental noise processes contributing to Transition Edge Sensor (TES) microcalorimeters and bolometers and their effect on device performance. In particular, I will start with a simple, monolithic device model, moving to a more complex one involving discrete components, to finally move to today's more realistic, comprehensive model. In addition to the basic noise contribution (equilibrium Johnson noise and phonon noise), TES are significantly affected by extra noise, which is commonly referred to as excess noise. Different fundamental processes have been proposed and investigated to explain the origin of this excess noise, in particular near equilibrium non-linear Johnson noise, flux-flow noise, and internal thermal fluctuation noise. Experimental evidence shows that all three processes are real and contribute, at different levels, to the TES noise, although different processes become important at different regimes. It is therefore time to discard the term “excess noise” and consider these terms part of the “fundamental noise processes” instead.
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