Smirnov, K. V., Vachtomin, Y. B., Antipov, S. V., Maslennikov, S. N., Kaurova, N. S., Drakinsky, V. N., et al. (2003). Noise and gain performance of spiral antenna coupled HEB mixers at 0.7 THz and 2.5 THz. In Proc. 14th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 405–412).
Abstract: Noise and gain performance of hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers based on ultrathin superconducting NbN films integrated with a spiral antenna was studied. The noise temperature measurements for two samples with different active area of 3 p.m x 0.24 .tni and 1.3 1..tm x 0.12 1.tm were performed at frequencies 0.7 THz and 2.5 THz. The best receiver noise temperatures 370 K and 1600 K, respectively, have been found at these frequencies. The influence of contact resistance between the superconductor and the antenna terminals on the noise temperature of HEB is discussed. The noise and gain bandwidth of 5GHz and 4.2 GHz, respectively, are demonstrated for similar HEB mixer at 0.75 THz.
|
Il'in, K., Siegel, M., Semenov, A., Engel, A., Hübers, H. - W., Hollmann, E., et al. (2004). Thickness dependence of superconducting properties of ultrathin Nb and NbN films. In AKF-Frühjahrstagung.
|
Semenov, A., Richter, H., Hübers, H. - W., Smirnov, K., Voronov, B., & Gol'tsman, G. (2003). Development of terahertz superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixers. In Proc. 6th European Conf. Appl. Supercond. (Vol. 181, pp. 2960–2965).
Abstract: We present recent results of the development of phonon cooled hot-electron bolometric (HEB) mixers for airborne and balloon borne terahertz heterodyne receivers. Three iomportant issues have been addresses: the quality of NbN films the HEB mixers were made from, the spectral properties of the HEB mixers and the local oscillator power required for optical operation. Studies with an atomic force microscope indicate, that the performance of the HEB mixer might have been effected by the microstructure of the NbN film. Antenna gain and noise temperature were investigated at terahertz frequencies for a HEB embedded in either log-spiral or twin-slot feed antenna. Comparison suggests that at frequencies above 3 THz the spiral feed provides better overall performance. At 1.6 THz, a power of 2.5 µW was required from the local oscillator for optimal operation of the HEB mixer.
|
Hübers, H. - W., Semenov, A., Richter, H., Smirnov, K., Gol'tsman, G., & Voronov, B. (2002). Phonon cooled far-infrared hot electron bolometer mixer. In NASA/ADS.
Abstract: Heterodyne receivers for applications in astronomy need quantum-limited sensitivity. At frequencies above 1.4 THz superconducting hot electron bolometers (HEB) can be used to achieve this goal. We present results of the development of a quasi-optical phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixer for GREAT, the German heterodyne receiver for SOFIA. Different 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 several frequencies between 0.7 THz and 5.2 THz. At 2.5 THz a double sideband noise temperature of 2200 K was achieved. The conversion loss was 16 dB. The response of the mixer was linear up to 400 K load temperature. This performance was verified by measuring an emission line of methanol at 2.5 THz. The results demonstrate that the NbN HEB is very well suited as a mixer for FIR heterodyne receivers.
|
Loudkov, D., Khosropanah, P., Cherednichenko, S., Adam, A., MerkeI, H., Kollberg, E., et al. (2002). Broadband fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) measurements of spiral and double-slot planar antennas at THz frequencies. In Proc. 13th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 373–369).
Abstract: The direct responses of NbN phonon-cooled hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers, integrated with different planar antennas, are measured, using Fourier Transform Spectrometer (F1S). One spiral antenna and several double slot antennas, designed for 0.6, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.5 THz central frequencies, are investigated. The Optimization of the measurement set-up is discussed in terms of the beam splitter and the F11S-to-HEB coupling. The result shows that the spiral antenna is circular polarized and has a bandwidth of about 2 THz. The frequency bands of double slot antennas show some shift from the design values and their relative bandwidth increases by increasing the design frequency. The antenna responses do not depend on the HEB bias point and temperature, as long as the device is in the resistive state.
|
Okunev, O., Smirnov, K., Chulkova, G., Korneev, A., Lipatov, A., Gol'tsman, G., et al. (2002). Ultrafast NBN hot-electron single-photon detectors for electronic applications. In Abstracts 8-th IUMRS-ICEM.
Abstract: We present a new, simple to manufacture, single-photon detector (SPD), which can work from ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelengths of optical radiation and combines high speed of operation, high quantum efficiency (QE), and very low dark counts. The devices are superconducting and operate at temperature below 5 K. The physics of operation of our SPD is based on formation of a photon-induced resistive hotspot and subsequent appearance of a transient resistive barrier across an ultrathin and submicron-wide superconductor.
|
Verevkin, A., Gershenzon, E. M., Gol'tsman, G. N., Ptitsina, N. G., Chulkova, G. M., Smirnov, K. S., et al. (2002). Direct measurements of energy relaxation times in two-dimensional structures under quasi-equilibrium conditions. In Mater. Sci. Forum (Vol. 384-3, pp. 107–116).
Abstract: A new microwave technique was successfully applied for direct studies of energy relaxation times in two-dimensional AlGaAs/GaAs structures under quasi-equilibrium conditions in the nanosecond and picosecond time scale. We report our results of energy relaxation time measurements in the temperature range 1.6-50 K, in quantum Hall effect regime in magnetic fields up to 4 T.
|
Cherednichenko, S., Ronnung, F., Gol'tsman, G., Gershenzon, E., & Winkler, D. (1999). YBa2Cu3O7-δ hot-electron bolometer with submicron dimensions. In Proc. 10th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 181–189).
Abstract: Photoresponse of YBa2Cu3O7-δ hot-electron bolometers to modulated near-infrared radiation was studied at a modulation .frequenc y var y ing from 0.2 MHz to 2 GHz. Bolometers were _fabricated from a 50 12 M thick film and had in-plane areas of 10x10 , um 2 . 2x0.2 s um', 1x0.2 p.m', and 0.5x0.2 jim. We found that nonequilibrium phonons cool down more effectively for the bolometers with smaller area. For the smallest bolometer the bolometric component in the response is 10 dB less than for the largest one.
|
Schubert, J., Semenov, A., Gol'tsman, G., Hübers, H. - W., Schwaab, G., Voronov, B., et al. (1999). Noise temperature and sensitivity of a NbN hot-electron mixer at frequencies from 0.7 THz to 5.2 THz. In Proc. 10th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 190–199).
Abstract: We report on noise temperature measurements of a NbN phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometric mixer at different bias regimes. The device was a 3 nm thick bridge with in-plane dimensions of 1.7 x 0.2 gm 2 integrated in a complementary logarithmic spiral antenna. Measurements were performed at frequencies ranging from 0.7 THz up to 5.2 THz. The measured DSB noise temperatures are 1500 K (0.7 THz), 2200 K (1.4 THz), 2600 K (1.6 THz), 2900 K (2.5 THz), 4000 K (3.1 THz) 5600 K (4.3 THz) and 8800 K (5.2 THz). Two bias regimes are possible in order to achieve low noise temperatures. But only one of them yields sensitivity fluctuations close to the theoretical limit.
|
Gerecht, E., Musante, C. F., Jian, H., Zhuang, Y., Yngvesson, K. S., Dickinson, J., et al. (1999). Improved characteristics of NbN HEB mixers integrated with log-periodic antennas. In Proc. 10th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 200–207).
|