Kawamura, J., Blundell, R., Tong, C. - Y. E., Papa, D. C., Hunter, T. R., Paine, S. N., et al. (2000). Superconductive hot-electron-bolometer mixer receiver for 800-GHz operation. IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Techn., 48(4), 683–689.
Abstract: In this paper, we describe a superconductive hot-electron-bolometer mixer receiver designed to operate in the partially transmissive 350-μm atmospheric window. The receiver employs an NbN thin-film microbridge as the mixer element, in which the main cooling mechanism of the hot electrons is through electron-phonon interaction. At a local-oscillator frequency of 808 GHz, the measured double-sideband receiver noise temperature is TRX=970 K, across a 1-GHz intermediate-frequency bandwidth centered at 1.8 GHz. We have measured the linearity of the receiver and the amount of local-oscillator power incident on the mixer for optimal operation, which is PLO≈1 μW. This receiver was used in making observations as a facility instrument at the Heinrich Hertz Telescope, Mt. Graham, AZ, during the 1998-1999 winter observing season.
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Kawamura, J., Blundell, R., Tong, C. - Y. E., Golts'man, G., Gershenzon, E., & Voronov B. (1996). Superconductive NbN hot-electron bolometric mixer performance at 250 GHz. In Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 331–336).
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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Zhang, W., Miao, W., Zhong, J. Q., Shi, S. C., Hayton, D. J., Vercruyssen, N., et al. (2014). Temperature dependence of the receiver noise temperature and IF bandwidth of superconducting hot electron bolometer mixers. Supercond. Sci. Technol., 27(8), 085013 (1 to 5).
Abstract: In this paper we study the temperature dependence of the receiver noise temperature and IF noise bandwidth of superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. Three superconducting NbN HEB devices of different transition temperatures (Tc) are measured at 0.85 THz and 1.4 THz at different bath temperatures (Tbath) between 4 K and 9 K. Measurement results demonstrate that the receiver noise temperature of superconducting NbN HEB devices is nearly constant for Tbath/Tc, less than 0.8, which is consistent with the simulation based on a distributed hot-spot model. In addition, the IF noise bandwidth appears independent of Tbath/Tc, indicating the dominance of phonon cooling in the investigated HEB devices.
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Hübers, H. - W., Semenov, A., Richter, H., Birk, M., Krocka, M., Mair, U., et al. (2002). Terahertz Heterodyn Receiver with a hot-electron bolometer mixer. In U. Wolf, J. Farhoomand, & C. R. McCreight (Eds.), Far-IR, Sub-mm & MM Detector Technology Workshop (pp. 3–24). NASA CP. NASA.
Abstract: During the past decade major advances have been made regarding low noise mixers for terahertz (THz) heterodyne receivers. State of the art hot-electron-bolometer (HEB) mixers have noise temperatures close to the quantum limit and require less than a µW power from the local oscillator (LO). The technology is now at a point where the performance of a practical receiver employing such mixer, rather than the figures of merit of the mixer itself, are of major concern. We have incorporated a phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixer in a 2.5 THz heterodyne receiver and investigated the performance of the receiver. This yields important information for the development of heterodyne receivers such as GREAT (German receiver for astronomy at THz frequencies aboard SOFIA) [1] and TELIS (Terahertz limb sounder), a balloon borne heterodyne receiver for atmospheric research [2]. Both are currently under development at DLR.
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Cherednichenko, S., Drakinskiy, V., Lecomte, B., Dauplay, F., Krieg, J. - M., Delorme, Y., et al. (2008). Terahertz heterodyne array based on NbN HEB mixers. In Proc. 19th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (43).
Abstract: A 16 pixel heterodyne receiver for 2.5 THz is 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 1.5μm thick Si3N4 / SiO2 membranes. Miniature mirrors (one per pixel) and back short for the antenna were 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 / SiO 2 membranes was found to be about 3 GHz, when an MgO buffer layers is applied on the membrane. We will also present the progress in the camera heterodyne tests.
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Hübers, H. - W., Semenov, A., Richter, H., Birk, M., Krocka, M., Mair, U., et al. (2002). Terahertz heterodyne receiver with a hot-electron bolometer mixer. In J. Wold, & J. Davidson (Eds.), Proc. Far-IR, Sub-mm, and mm Detector Technology Workshop.
Abstract: During the past decade major advances have been made regarding low noise mixers for terahertz (THz) heterodyne receivers. State of the art hot-electron-bolometer (HEB) mixers have noise temperatures close to the quantum limit and require less than a µW power from the local oscillator (LO). The technology is now at a point where the performance of a practical receiver employing such mixer, rather than the figures of merit of the mixer itself, are of major concern. We have incorporated a phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixer in a 2.5 THz heterodyne receiver and investigated the performance of the receiver. This yields important information for the development of heterodyne receivers such as GREAT (German receiver for astronomy at THz frequencies aboard SOFIA)[1] and TELIS (Terahertz limb sounder), a balloon borne heterodyne receiver for atmospheric research [2]. Both are currently under development at DLR.
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Gol'tsman, G. N., & Loudkov, D. N. (2003). Terahertz superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixers and their application in radio astronomy. Radiophys. Quant. Electron., 46(8/9), 604–617.
Abstract: We review the latest developments, research, and radioastronomy applications of hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers operated in the terahertz waveband. The physical principles of operation of terahertz HEB mixers are presented, their manufacturing from ultrathin NbN films, the main HEB-mixer parameters and their measurement techniques are discussed, and practical terahertz radioastronomy projects based on heterodyne receivers with HEB mixers are considered.
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Gol’tsman, G. N. (1994). Terahertz technology in Russia. In 24th European Microwave Conf. (Vol. 1, pp. 113–121).
Abstract: The presentation consider the parameters and operating peculiarities of unique microwave generators of the terahertz range which have been created in Russia – the backward wave oscillators – as well as certain devices based on these generators, such as high resolution. spectrometers and time-resolving spectrometers with picosecond temporal resolution. Most resent BWO-based studies are illustrated by a project devoted to superconductive hot-electron. bolometers which are of great independent value for the terahertz technology as high-sensitive picosecond detectors and low noise broad-band mixers.
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Kawamura, J., Tong, C. - Y. E., Blundell, R., Papa, D. C., Hunter, T. R., Patt, F., et al. (2001). Terahertz-frequency waveguide NbN hot-electron bolometer mixer. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 11(1), 952–954.
Abstract: We have developed a low-noise waveguide heterodyne receiver for operation near 1 THz using phonon-cooled NbN hot-electron bolometers. The mixer elements are submicron-sized microbridges of 4 nm-thick NbN film fabricated on a quartz substrate. Operating at a bath temperature of 4.2 K, the double-sideband receiver noise temperature is 760 K at 1.02 THz and 1100 K at 1.26 THz. The local oscillator is provided by solid-state sources, and power measured at the source is less than 1 /spl mu/W. The intermediate frequency bandwidth exceeds 2 GHz. The receiver was used to make the first ground-based heterodyne detection of a celestial spectroscopic line above 1 THz.
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Yagubov, P., Gol'tsman, G., Voronov, B., Seidman, L., Siomash, V., Cherednichenko, S., et al. (1996). The bandwidth of HEB mixers employing ultrathin NbN films on sapphire substrate. In Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 290–302). Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
Abstract: We report on some unusual features observed during fabrication of ultrathin NbN films with high Tc. The films were used to fabricate HEB mixers, which were evaluated for IF bandwidth measurements at 140 GHz. Ultrathin films were fabricated using reactive dc magnetron sputtering with a discharge current source. Reproducible parameters of the films are assured keeping constant the difference between the discharge voltage in pure argon, and in a gas mixture, for the same current. A maximum bandwidth of 4 GHz at optimal LO and dc bias was obtained for mixer chip based on NbN film 35 A thick with Tc = 11 K.
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