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Author Lobanov, Y.; Tong, C.; Blundell, R.; Gol'tsman, G. url  openurl
  Title A study of direct detection effect on the linearity of hot electron bolometer mixers Type Conference Article
  Year 2009 Publication Proc. 20th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 20th ISSTT  
  Volume Issue Pages 282-287  
  Keywords HEB mixer, direct detection effect  
  Abstract We have performed a study of how direct detection affects the linearity and hence the calibration of an HEB mixer. Two types of waveguide HEB devices have been used: a 0.8 THz HEB mixer and a 1.0 THz HEB mixer which is ~5 times smaller than the former. Two independent experimental approaches were used. In the ΔG/G method, the conversion gain of the HEB mixer is first measured as a function of the bias current for a number of bias voltages. At each bias setting, we carefully measure the change in the operating current when the input loads are switched. From the measured data, we can derive the expected difference in gain between the hot and cold loads. In the second method (injection method [1]), the linearity of the HEB mixer is independently measured by injecting a modulated signal for different input load temperatures. The results of both approaches confirm that there is gain compression in the operation of HEB mixers. Based on the results of our measurements, we discuss the impact of direct detection effects on the operation of HEB mixers.  
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  Call Number RPLAB @ gujma @ Serial 724  
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Author Lobanov, Y. V.; Tong, Cheuk-Yu E.; Hedden, A. S.; Blundell, R.; Gol'tsman, G. N. openurl 
  Title Microwave-assisted슠measurement슠of the슠frequency슠response슠of슠terahertz슠HEB슠mixers슠with a슠fourier슠transform슠spectrometer Type Conference Article
  Year 2010 Publication 21st International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology Abbreviated Journal 21st ISSTT  
  Volume Issue Pages 420-423  
  Keywords HEB mixer  
  Abstract We describe a novel method of operation of the HEB direct detector for use with a Fourier Transform Spectrometer. Instead of elevating the bath temperature, we have measured the RF response of waveguide HEB mixers by applying microwave radiation to select appropriate bias conditions. In our experiment, a microwave signal is injected into the HEB mixer via its IF port. By choosing an appropriate injection level, the device can be operated close to the desired operating point. Furthermore, we have shown that both thermal biasing and microwave injection can reproduce the same spectral response of the HEB mixer. However, with the use of microwave injection, there is no need to wait for the mixer to reach thermal equilibrium, so characterisation can be done in less time. Also, the liquid helium consumption for our wet cryostat is also reduced. We have demonstrated that the signalto-noise ratio of the FTS measurements can be improved with microwave injection.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number RPLAB @ gujma @ Serial 725  
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Author Burke, P. J.; Schoelkopf, R. J.; Prober, D. E.; Skalare, A.; Karasik, B. S.; Gaidis, M. C.; McGrath, W. R.; Bumble, B.; Leduc, H. G. openurl 
  Title Spectrum of thermal fluctuation noise in diffusion and phonon cooled hot-electron mixers Type Journal Article
  Year 1998 Publication Applied Physics Letters Abbreviated Journal Appl. Phys. Lett.  
  Volume 72 Issue 12 Pages 1516-1518  
  Keywords HEB mixer; thermal fluctuation noise; TFN  
  Abstract A systematic study of the intermediate frequency noise bandwidth of Nb thin-film superconducting hot-electron bolometers is presented. We have measured the spectrum of the output noise as well as the conversion efficiency over a very broad intermediate frequency range (from 0.1 to 7.5 GHz) for devices varying in length from 0.08 μm to 3 μm. Local oscillator and rf signals from 8 to 40 GHz were used. For a device of a given length, the spectrum of the output noise and the conversion efficiency behave similarly for intermediate frequencies less than the gain bandwidth, in accordance with a simple thermal model for both the mixing and thermal fluctuation noise. For higher intermediate frequencies the conversion efficiency decreases; in contrast, the noise decreases but has a second contribution which dominates at higher frequency. The noise bandwidth is larger than the gain bandwidth, and the mixer noise is low, between 120 and 530 K (double side band).  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number RPLAB @ gujma @ Serial 760  
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Author Shurakov, Alexander; Tong, Edward; Blundell, Raymond; Gol'tsman, Gregory openurl 
  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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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 857  
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Author Khosropanah, P.; Merkel, H.; Yngvesson, S.; Adam, A.; Cherednichenko, S.; Kollberg, E. openurl 
  Title A distributed device model for phonon-cooled HEB mixers predicting IV characteristics, gain, noise and IF bandwidth Type Conference Article
  Year 2000 Publication Proc. 11th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 474-488  
  Keywords HEB mixer numerical model, diffusion cooling channel, diffusion channel, distributed HEB model, distributed model  
  Abstract A distributed model for phonon-cooled superconductor hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers is given, which is based on solving the one-dimensional heat balance equation for the electron temperature profile along the superconductor strip. In this model it is assumed that the LO power is absorbed uniformly along the bridge but the DC power absorption depends on the local resistivity and is thus not uniform. The electron temperature dependence of the resistivity is assumed to be continuous and has a Fermi form. These assumptions are used in setting up the non-linear heat balance equation, which is solved numerically for the electron temperature profile along the bolometer strip. Based on this profile the resistance of the device and the IV curves are calculated. The IV curves are in excellent agreement with measurement results. Using a small signal model the conversion gain of the mixer is obtained. The expressions for Johnson noise and thermal fluctuation noise are derived. The calculated results are in close agreement with measurements, provided that one of the parameters used is adjusted.  
  Address  
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  Publisher (down) Place of Publication University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA Editor  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 893  
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Author Ynvesson, K. Sigfrid; Kollberg, Erik L. openurl 
  Title Optimum receiver noise temperature for NbN HEB mixers according to standard model Type Conference Article
  Year 1999 Publication Proc. 10th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal  
  Volume Issue Pages 566-582  
  Keywords HEB mixer model, standard model, electro-thermal feedback, self-heating parameter, heating efficiency  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 895  
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Author Pütz, P.; Honingh, C. E.; Jacobs, K.; Justen, M.; Schultz, M.; Stutzki, J. openurl 
  Title Terahertz hot electron bolometer waveguide mixers for GREAT Type Journal Article
  Year 2012 Publication Astron. Astrophys. Abbreviated Journal A&A  
  Volume 542 Issue Pages L2  
  Keywords HEB mixer, applications  
  Abstract Context. Supplementing the publications based on the first-light observations with the German REceiver for Astronomy at Terahertz frequencies (GREAT) on SOFIA, we present background information on the underlying heterodyne detector technology. This Letter complements the GREAT instrument Letter and focuses on the mixers itself.

Aims. We describe the superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) detectors that are used as frequency mixers in the L1 (1400 GHz), L2 (1900 GHz), and M (2500 GHz) channels of GREAT. Measured performance of the detectors is presented and background information on their operation in GREAT is given.

Methods. Our mixer units are waveguide-based and couple to free-space radiation via a feedhorn antenna. The HEB mixers are designed, fabricated, characterized, and flight-qualified in-house. We are able to use the full intermediate frequency bandwidth of the mixers using silicon-germanium multi-octave cryogenic low-noise amplifiers with very low input return loss.

Results. Superconducting HEB mixers have proven to be practical and sensitive detectors for high-resolution THz frequency spectroscopy on SOFIA. We show that our niobium-titanium-nitride (NbTiN) material HEBs on silicon nitride (SiN) membrane substrates have an intermediate frequency (IF) noise roll-off frequency above 2.8 GHz, which does not limit the current receiver IF bandwidth. Our mixer technology development efforts culminate in the first successful operation of a waveguide-based HEB mixer at 2.5 THz and deployment for radioastronomy. A significant contribution to the success of GREAT is made by technological development, thorough characterization and performance optimization of the mixer and its IF interface for receiver operation on SOFIA. In particular, the development of an optimized mixer IF interface contributes to the low passband ripple and excellent stability, which GREAT demonstrated during its initial successful astronomical observation runs.
 
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 907  
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Author Cherednichenko, Sergey; Drakinskiy, Vladimir; Berg, Therese; Khosropanah, Pourya; Kollberg, Erik openurl 
  Title Hot-electron bolometer terahertz mixers for the Herschel Space Observatory Type Journal Article
  Year 2008 Publication Review of Scientific Instruments Abbreviated Journal Rev. Sci. Instrum.  
  Volume 79 Issue Pages 034501  
  Keywords HEB mixer, HEB detector, HEB direct detector, applications  
  Abstract We report on low noise terahertz mixers(1.4–1.9THz) developed for the heterodyne spectrometer onboard the Herschel Space Observatory. The mixers employ double slot antenna integrated superconducting hot-electron bolometers (HEBs) made of thin NbN films. The mixer performance was characterized in terms of detection sensitivity across the entire rf band by using a Fourier transform spectrometer (from 0.5to2.5THz, with 30GHz resolution) and also by measuring the mixernoise temperature at a limited number of discrete frequencies. The lowest mixernoise temperature recorded was 750K [double sideband (DSB)] at 1.6THz and 950KDSB at 1.9THz local oscillator (LO) frequencies. Averaged across the intermediate frequency band of 2.4–4.8GHz, the mixernoise temperature was 1100KDSB at 1.6THz and 1450KDSB at 1.9THz LO frequencies. The HEB heterodyne receiver stability has been analyzed and compared to the HEB stability in the direct detection mode. The optimal local oscillator power was determined and found to be in a 200–500nW range.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 908  
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Author Yagoubov, P.; Kroug, M.; Merkel, H.; Kollberg, E.; Gol'tsman, G.; Svechnikov, S.; Gershenzon, E. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Noise temperature and local oscillator power requirement of NbN phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric mixers at terahertz frequencies Type Journal Article
  Year 1998 Publication Appl. Phys. Lett. Abbreviated Journal Appl. Phys. Lett.  
  Volume 73 Issue 19 Pages 2814-2816  
  Keywords NbN HEB mixers, noise temperature, local oscillator power  
  Abstract In this letter, the noise performance of NbN-based phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric quasioptical mixers is investigated in the 0.55–1.1 THz frequency range. The best results of the double-sideband <cd><2018>DSB<cd><2019> noise temperature are: 500 K at 640 GHz, 600 K at 750 GHz, 850 K at 910 GHz, and 1250 K at 1.1 THz. The water vapor in the signal path causes significant contribution to the measured receiver noise temperature around 1.1 THz. The devices are made from 3-nm-thick NbN film on high-resistivity Si and integrated with a planar spiral antenna on the same substrate. The in-plane dimensions of the bolometer strip are typically 0.2Ï«2 um. The amount of local oscillator power absorbed in the bolometer is less than 100 nW.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 911  
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Author Klapwijk, T. M.; Barends, R.; Gao, J. R.; Hajenius, M.; Baselmans, J. J. A. openurl 
  Title Improved superconducting hot-electron bolometer devices for the THz range Type Conference Article
  Year 2004 Publication Proc. SPIE Abbreviated Journal Proc. SPIE  
  Volume 5498 Issue Pages 129-139  
  Keywords HEB mixer distributed model, numerical model  
  Abstract Improved and reproducible heterodyne mixing (noise temperatures of 950 K at 2.5 THz) has been realized with NbN based hot-electron superconducting devices with low contact resistances. A distributed temperature numerical model of the NbN bridge, based on a local electron and a phonon temperature, has been used to understand the physical conditions during the mixing process. We find that the mixing is predominantly due to the exponential rise of the local resistivity as a function of electron temperature.  
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  Notes Invited talk, Recommended by Klapwijk Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 912  
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Author Phillips, T. G.; Jefferts, K. B. doi  openurl
  Title A low temperature bolometer heterodyne receiver for Millimeter wave astronomy Type Journal Article
  Year 1973 Publication Rev. Sci. Instrum. Abbreviated Journal Rev. Sci. Instrum.  
  Volume 44 Issue 8 Pages 1009-1014  
  Keywords InSb HEB mixer  
  Abstract Liquid helium cooled InSb hot electronbolometers are used in a balanced mixer configuration as detectors for an imagelessmicrowave receiver. The system is designed for mounting at the prime focus of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) 11 m antenna at Kitt Peak, Arizona, and is suitable for the study of rotational line spectra of interstellar gas molecules. Currently the operating frequency is in the 90–140 GHz band where the double sideband system noise temperature is 250 K.  
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  Notes Recommended by Klapwijk Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 927  
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Author Miao, W.; Zhang, W.; Zhong, J. Q.; Shi, S. C.; Delorme, Y.; Lefevre, R.; Feret, A; Vacelet, T url  doi
openurl 
  Title Non-uniform absorption of terahertz radiation on superconducting hot electron bolometer microbridges Type Journal Article
  Year 2014 Publication Appl. Phys. Lett. Abbreviated Journal <ef><bf><bc>Appl. Phys. Lett.  
  Volume 104 Issue Pages 052605(1-4)  
  Keywords NbN HEB mixers, local oscillator power, RF nonuniform absorption  
  Abstract We interpret the experimental observation of a frequency-dependence of superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers by taking into account the non-uniform absorption of the terahertz radiation on the superconducting HEB microbridge. The radiation absorption is assumed to be proportional to the local surface resistance of the HEB microbridge, which is computed using the Mattis-Bardeen theory. With this assumption the dc and mixing characteristics of a superconducting niobium-nitride (NbN) HEB device have been modeled at frequencies below and above the equilibrium gap frequency of the NbN film.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 935  
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Author Kawamura, J.; Blundell, R.; Tong, C.-Y. E.; Golts'man, G.; Gershenzon, E.; Voronov B. url  openurl
  Title Superconductive NbN hot-electron bolometric mixer performance at 250 GHz Type Conference Article
  Year 1996 Publication Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.  
  Volume Issue Pages 331-336  
  Keywords NbN HEB mixers  
  Abstract Thin film NbN (<40 A) strips are used as waveguide mixer elements. The electron cooling mechanism for the geometry is the electron-phonon interaction. We report a receiver noise temperature of 750 K at 244 GHz, with / IF = 1.5 GHz, Af= 500 MHz, and Tphysical = 4 K. The instantaneous bandwidth for this mixer is 1.6 GHz. The local oscillator (LO) power is 0.5 1.tW with 3 dB-uncertainty. The mixer is linear to 1 dB up to an input power level 6 dB below the LO power. We report the first detection of a molecular line emission using this class of mixer, and that the receiver noise temperature determined from Y-factor measurements reflects the true heterodyne sensitivity.  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 945  
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Author Trifonov, A.; Tong, C.-Y. E.; Blundell, R.; Ryabchun, S.; Gol'tsman, G. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Probing the stability of HEB mixers with microwave injection Type Journal Article
  Year 2015 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.  
  Volume 25 Issue 3 Pages 2300404 (1 to 4)  
  Keywords NbN HEB mixer, stability, Allan-variance  
  Abstract Using a microwave probe as a tool, we have performed experiments aimed at understanding the origin of the output-power fluctuations in hot-electron-bolometer (HEB) mixers. We use a probe frequency of 1.5 GHz. The microwave probe picks up impedance changes of the HEB, which are examined upon demodulation of the reflected wave outside the cryostat. This study shows that the HEB mixer operates in two different regimes under a terahertz pump. At a low pumping level, strong pulse modulation is observed, as the device switches between the superconducting state and the normal state at a rate of a few megahertz. When pumped much harder, to approximate the low-noise mixer operating point, residual modulation can still be observed, showing that the HEB mixer is intrinsically unstable even in the resistive state. Based on these observations, we introduced a low-frequency termination to the HEB mixer. By terminating the device in a 50-Ω resistor in the megahertz frequency range, we have been able to improve the output-power Allan time of our HEB receiver by a factor of four to about 10 s for a detection bandwidth of 15 MHz, with a corresponding gain fluctuation of about 0.035%.  
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  ISSN 1051-8223 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 1355  
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Author Lobanov, Y.; Shcherbatenko, M.; Finkel, M.; Maslennikov, S.; Semenov, A.; Voronov, B. M.; Rodin, A. V.; Klapwijk, T. M.; Gol'tsman, G. N. doi  openurl
  Title NbN hot-electron-bolometer mixer for operation in the near-IR frequency range Type Journal Article
  Year 2015 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.  
  Volume 25 Issue 3 Pages 2300704 (1 to 4)  
  Keywords HEB mixer, IR, optical antenna  
  Abstract Traditionally, hot-electron-bolometer (HEB) mixers are employed for THz and “super-THz” heterodyne detection. To explore the near-IR spectral range, we propose a fiber-coupled NbN film based HEB mixer. To enhance the incident-light absorption, a quasi-antenna consisting of a set of parallel stripes of gold is used. To study the antenna effect on the mixer performance, we have experimentally studied a set of devices with different size of the Au stripe and spacing between the neighboring stripes. With use of the well-known isotherm technique we have estimated the absorption efficiency of the mixer, and the maximum efficiency has been observed for devices with the smallest pitch of the alternating NbN and NbN-Au stripes. Also, a proper alignment of the incident Eâƒ<2014>-field with respect to the stripes allows us to improve the coupling further. Studying IV-characteristics of the mixer under differently-aligned Eâƒ<2014>-field of the incident radiation, we have noticed a difference in their shape. This observation suggests that a difference exists in the way the two waves with orthogonal polarizations parallel and perpendicular Eâƒ<2014>-field to the stripes heat the electrons in the HEB mixer. The latter results in a variation in the electron temperature distribution over the HEB device irradiated by the two waves.  
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  Area Expedition Conference  
  Notes Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 952  
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