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Semenov, A. D., Hübers, H. - W., Richter, H., Birk, M., Krocka, M., Mair, U., et al. (2003). Superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixer for terahertz heterodyne receivers. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 13(2), 168–171.
Abstract: We present recent results showing the development of superconducting NbN hot-electron bolometer mixer for German receiver for astronomy at terahertz frequencies and terahertz limb sounder. The mixer is incorporated into a planar feed antenna, which has either logarithmic spiral or double-slot configuration, and backed on a silicon lens. The hybrid antenna had almost frequency independent and symmetric radiation pattern slightly broader than expected for a diffraction limited antenna. At 2.5 THz the best 2200 K double side-band receiver noise temperature was achieved across a 1 GHz intermediate frequency bandwidth centred at 1.5 GHz. For this operation regime, a receiver conversion efficiency of -17 dB was directly measured and the loss budget was evaluated. The mixer response was linear at load temperatures smaller than 400 K. Implementation of the MgO buffer layer on Si resulted in an increased 5.2 GHz gain bandwidth. The receiver was tested in the laboratory environment by measuring a methanol emission line at 2.5 THz.
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Cherednichenko, S., Drakinskiy, V., Baubert, J., Lecomte, B., Dauplay, F., Krieg, J. M., et al. (2006). 2.5 THz multipixel heterodyne receiver based on NbN HEB mixers. In Proc. SPIE (Vol. 6275, 62750I (1 to 11)).
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 1.5 µm 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. The gain bandwidth of the HEB mixers on Si3N4/SiO2 membranes was found to be 0.7÷0.9 GHz, which is much smaller than for similar devices on silicon. Application of buffer layers and use of alternative types of membranes (e.g. silicon-on-insulator) is under investigation.
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Nebosis, R. S., Semenov, A. D., Gousev, Y. P., & Renk, K. F. (1996). Rigorous analysis of a superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixer: theory and comparision with experiment. In Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 601–613). Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
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Semenov, A. D., Nebosis, R. S., Gousev, Y. P., Heusinger, M. A., & Renk, K. F. (1995). Analysis of the nonequilibrium photoresponse of superconducting films to pulsed radiation by use of a two-temperature model. Phys. Rev. B, 52(1), 581–590.
Abstract: Photoresponse of a superconducting film in the resistive state to pulsed radiation has been studied in the framework of a model assuming that two different effective temperatures can be assigned to the quasiparticle and phonon nonequilibrium distributions. The coupled electron-phonon-substrate system is described by a system of time-dependent energy-balance differential equations for effective temperatures. An analytical solution of the system is given and calculated voltage transients are compared with experimental photoresponse signals taking into account the radiation pulse shape and the time resolution of the readout electronics. It is supposed that a resistive state (vortices, fluxons, network of intergrain junctions, hot spots, phase slip centers) provides an ultrafast connection between electron temperature changes and changes of the film resistance and thus plays a minor role in the temporal evolution of the response. In accordance with experimental observations a two-component response was revealed from simulations. The slower component corresponds to a bolometric mechanism while the fast component is connected with the relaxation of the electron temperature. Calculated photoresponse transients are presented for different ratios of the electron and phonon specific heat, radiation pulse durations and fluences, and frequency band passes of registration electronics. From the amplitude of the bolometric component we determine the radiation energy absorbed in a film. This enables us to reveal an intrinsic electron-phonon scattering time even if it is much shorter than the time resolution of readout electronics. We analyze experimental voltage transients for NbN, YBa2Cu3O7, and TlBa2Ca2Cu3O9 superconducting films and find the electron-phonon interaction times at the transition temperatures of 17, 2.5, and 1.8 ps, respectively. The values are in reasonable agreement with data of other experiments.
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Gousev, Y. P., Semenov, A. D., Pechen, E. V., Varlashkin, A. V., Nebosis, R. S., & Renk K. F. (1996). Coupling of terahertz radiation to a high-Т(с) superconducting hot electron bolometer mixer. Appl. Phys. Lett.,, 69, 691–693.
Abstract: We report on efficient coupling of THz radiation to a high-T(c) superconducting hot electron bolometer that is suitable for heterodyne detection. Our quasioptical system consisted of a planar self-complementary spiral antenna on a dielectric substrate clamped to an extended hyperhemispherical lens. The antenna was integrated into a co-planar line for broadband intermediate frequency matching. Measurements in the homodyne regime at a frequency of 2.5 THz showed a radiation pattern with a beam width of 1° and a coupling efficiency of 0.1. We measured, at an intermediate frequency of 1.5 GHz, an output noise temperature of'160 K and estimated for the device, operated in the heterodyne regime, a system noise temperature of 30 000 K. We also discuss possibilities of significant improvement of the sensitivity.
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