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| Author |
Cherednichenko, S.; Kroug, M.; Merkel, H.; Kollberg, E.; Loudkov, D.; Smirnov, K.; Voronov, B.; Gol'tsman, G.; Gershenzon, E. |
Title  |
Local oscillator power requirement and saturation effects in NbN HEB mixers |
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Conference Article |
| Year |
2001 |
Publication |
Proc. 12th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. 12th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
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273-285 |
| Keywords |
NbN HEB mixers, LO power, local oscillator power, saturation effect, dynamic range |
| Abstract |
The local oscillator power required for NbN hot-electron bolometric mixers (P LO ) was investigated with respect to mixer size, critical temperature and ambient temperature. P LO can be decreased by a factor of 10 as the mixer size decreases from 4×0.4 µm 2 to 0.6×0.13 µm 2 . For the smallest volume mixer the optimal local oscillator power was found to be 15 nW. We found that for such mixer no signal compression was observed up to an input signal of 2 nW which corresponds to an equivalent input load of 20,000 K. For a constant mixer volume, reduction of T c can decrease optimal local oscillator power at least by a factor of 2 without a deterioration of the receiver noise temperature. Bath temperature was found to have minor effect on the receiver characteristics. |
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San Diego, CA, USA |
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Inst.it.u.t.e of Technology |
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318 |
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Lobanov, Y.; Tong, E.; Blundell, R.; Hedden, A.; Voronov, B.; Gol'tsman, G. |
| Title |
Large-signal frequency response of an HEB mixer: from 300 MHz to terahertz |
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Journal Article |
| Year |
2011 |
Publication |
IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. |
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21 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
628-631 |
| Keywords |
waveguide NbN HEB mixers |
| Abstract |
We present a study of the large signal frequency response of an HEB mixer over a wide frequency range. In our experiments, we have subjected the HEB mixer to incident electromagnetic radiation from 0.3 GHz to 1 THz. The mixer element is an NbN film deposited on crystalline quartz. The mixer chip is mounted in a waveguide cavity, coupled to free space with a diagonal horn. At microwave frequencies, electromagnetic radiation is applied through the coaxial bias port of the mixer block. At higher frequencies the input signal passes via the diagonal horn feed. At each frequency, the incident power is varied and a family of I-V curves is recorded. From the curves we identify 3 distinct regimes of operation of the mixer separated by the phonon relaxation frequency and the superconducting energy gap frequency observed at about 3 GHz and 660 GHz respectively. In this paper, we will present observed curves and discuss the results of our experiment. |
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RPLAB @ gujma @ |
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719 |
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Cherednichenko, S.; Yagoubov, P.; Il'In, K.; Gol'tsman, G.; Gershenzon, E. |
| Title |
Large bandwidth of NbN phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixers on sapphire substrates |
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Conference Article |
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1997 |
Publication |
Proc. 8th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. 8th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
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245-257 |
| Keywords |
NbN HEB mixers, fabrication process |
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The bandwidth of NbN phonon-cooled hot electron bolometer mixers has been systematically investigated with respect to the film thickness and film quality variation. The films, 2.5 to 10 mm thick, were fabricated on sapphire substrates using DC reactive magnetron sputtering. All devices consisted of several parallel strips, each 1 1.1 wide and 211 long, placed between Ti-Au contact pads. To measure the gain bandwidth we used two identical BWOs operating in the 120-140 GHz frequency range, one functioning as a local oscillator and the other as a signal source. The majority of the measurements were made at an ambient temperature of 4.5 K with optimal LO and DC bias. The maximum 3 dB bandwidth (about 4 GHz) was achieved for the devices made of films which were 2.5-3.5 nm thick, had a high critical temperature, and high critical current density. A theoretical analysis of bandwidth for these mixers based on the two-temperature model gives a good description of the experimental results if one assumes that the electron temperature is equal to the critical temperature. |
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276 |
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Schwaab, G.W.; Sirmain, G.; Schubert, J.; Hubers, H.-W.; Gol'tsman, G.; Cherednichenko, S.; Verevkin, A.; Voronov, B.; Gershenzon, E. |
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Investigation of NbN phonon-cooled HEB mixers at 2.5 THz |
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Journal Article |
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1999 |
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IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. |
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IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. |
| Volume |
9 |
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2 |
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4233-4236 |
| Keywords |
NbN HEB mixers |
| 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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1051-8223 |
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550 |
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Baselmans, J. J. A.; Baryshev, A.; Hajenius, M.; Gao, J. R.; Klapwijk, T. M.; Voronov, B.; Gol'tsman, G. |
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Influence of the direct response on the heterodyne sensitivity of hot electron bolometer mixers |
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Abstract |
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2006 |
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Proc. 17th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. 17th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
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81 |
| Keywords |
NbN HEB mixers |
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We present a detailed experimental study of the direct detection effect in a small volume (0.15pm x lpm) NbN hot electron bolometer mixer. It is a quasioptical mixer with a twin slot antenna designed for 700 GHz and the measurement was done at a LO frequency of 670 GHz. The direct detection effect is characterized by a change in the mixer bias current when switching broadband radiation from a 300 K hot load to a 77 K cold load in a standard Y factor measurement. The result is, depending on the receiver under study, an increase or decrease in the receiver noise temperature. We find that the small signal noise temperature, which is the noise temperature that would be observed without the presence of the direct detection effect, and thus the one that is relevant for an astronomical observation, is 20% lower than the noise temperature obtained using 300 K and 77 K calibration loads. Thus, in our case the direct detection effect reduces the mixer sensitivity. These results are in good agreement with previous measurement at THz frequencies [1]. Other experiments report an increase in mixer sensitivity [2]. To analyze this discrepancy we have designed a separate set of experiments to find out the physical origin of the direct detection effect. Possible candidates are the bias current dependence of the mixer gain and the bias current dependence of the IF match. We measured directly the change in mixer IF match and receiver gain due to the direct detection effect. From these measurements we conclude that the direct detection effect is caused by a combination of bias current reduction when switching form the 77 K to the 300 K load in combination with the bias current dependence of the receiver gain. The bias current dependence of the receiver gain is shown to be mainly caused by the current dependence of the mixer gain. We also find that an increase in receiver sensitivity due to the direct detection effect is only possible if the noise temperature change due to the direct detection is dominated by the mixer-amplifier IF match. [1] J.J.A. Baselmans, A. Baryshev, S.F. Reker, M. Hajenius, J.R. Gao, T.M. Klapwijk, Yu.Vachtomin, S. Maslennikov, S. Antipov, B. Voronov, and G. Gol'tsman., Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 163503 (2005). [2] S. Svechnokov, A. Verevkin, B. Voronov, E. Menschikov. E. Gershenzon, G. Gol'tsman, 9th Int. Symp. On Space THz. Techn., 45, (1999). |
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