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Author Ren, Y.; Zhang, D. X.; Zhou, K. M.; Miao, W.; Zhang, W.; Shi, S. C.; Seleznev, V.; Pentin, I.; Vakhtomin, Y.; Smirnov, K.
Title 10.6 μm heterodyne receiver based on a superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixer and a quantum cascade laser Type Journal Article
Year (down) 2019 Publication AIP Advances Abbreviated Journal AIP Advances
Volume 9 Issue 7 Pages 075307
Keywords NbN HEB mixers, QCL, IR
Abstract We report on the development of a heterodyne receiver at mid-infrared wavelength for high-resolution spectroscopy applications. The receiver employs a superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer as a mixer and a room temperature distributed feedback quantum cascade laser operating at 10.6 μm (28.2 THz) as a local oscillator. The stabilization of the heterodyne receiver has been achieved using a feedback loop controlling the output power of the laser. Improved Allan variance times as well as a double sideband receiver noise temperature of 5000 K and a noise bandwidth of 2.8 GHz of the receiver system are demonstrated.

The work is supported in part by the National Key R&D Program of China under Grant 2018YFA0404701, by the CAS program under Grant QYZDJ-SSW-SLH043 and GJJSTD20180003, by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant 11773083, by the “Hundred Talents Program” of the “Pioneer Initiative”, and in part by the CAS Key Lab for Radio Astronomy.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2158-3226 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1293
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Author Klapwijk, T. M.; Semenov, A. V.
Title Engineering physics of superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixers Type Journal Article
Year (down) 2017 Publication IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Technol.
Volume 7 Issue 6 Pages 627-648
Keywords HEB mixers
Abstract Superconducting hot-electron bolometers are presently the best performing mixing devices for the frequency range beyond 1.2 THz, where good-quality superconductor-insulator-superconductor devices do not exist. Their physical appearance is very simple: an antenna consisting of a normal metal, sometimes a normal-metal-superconductor bilayer, connected to a thin film of a narrow short superconductor with a high resistivity in the normal state. The device is brought into an optimal operating regime by applying a dc current and a certain amount of local-oscillator power. Despite this technological simplicity, its operation has found to be controlled by many different aspects of superconductivity, all occurring simultaneously. A core ingredient is the understanding that there are two sources of resistance in a superconductor: a charge-conversion resistance occurring at a normal-metal-superconductor interface and a resistance due to time-dependent changes of the superconducting phase. The latter is responsible for the actual mixing process in a nonuniform superconducting environment set up by the bias conditions and the geometry. The present understanding indicates that further improvement needs to be found in the use of other materials with a faster energy relaxation rate. Meanwhile, several empirical parameters have become physically meaningful indicators of the devices, which will facilitate the technological developments.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2156-342X ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1292
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Author Antipov, S.; Trifonov, A.; Krause, S.; Meledin, D.; Desmaris, V.; Belitsky, V.; Gol’tsman, G.
Title Gain bandwidth of NbN HEB mixers on GaN buffer layer operating at 2 THz local oscillator frequency Type Conference Article
Year (down) 2017 Publication Proc. 28th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 28th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.
Volume Issue Pages 147-148
Keywords NbN HEB mixers, GaN buffer-layer, IF bandwidth
Abstract In this paper, we present IF bandwidth measurement results of NbN HEB mixers, which are employing NbN thin films grown on a GaN buffer-layer. The HEB mixers were operated in the heterodyne regime at a bath temperature of approximately 4.5 K and with a local oscillator operating at a frequency of 2 THz. A quantum cascade laser served as the local oscillator and a reference synthesizer based on a BWO generator (130-160 GHz) and a semiconductor superlattice (SSL) frequency multiplier was used as a signal source. By changing the LO frequency it was possible to record the IF response or gain bandwidth of the HEB with a spectrum analyzer at the operation point, which yielded lowest noise temperature. The gain bandwidth that was recorded in the heterodyne regime at 2 THz amounts to approximately 5 GHz and coincides well with a measurement that has been performed at elevated bath temperatures and lower LO frequency of 140 GHz. These findings strongly support that by using a GaN buffer-layer the phonon escape time of NbN HEBs can be significantly lower as compared to e.g. Si substrate, thus, providing higher gain bandwidth.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1175
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Author Anfertev, V.; Vaks, V.; Revin, L.; Pentin, I.; Tretyakov, I.; Goltsman, G.; Vinogradov, E. A.; Naumov, A. V.; Gladush, M. G.; Karimullin, K. R.
Title High resolution THz gas spectrometer based on semiconductor and superconductor devices Type Conference Article
Year (down) 2017 Publication EPJ Web Conf. Abbreviated Journal EPJ Web Conf.
Volume 132 Issue Pages 02001 (1 to 2)
Keywords NbN HEB mixers, detectors, THz spectroscopy
Abstract The high resolution THz gas spectrometer consists of a synthesizer based on Gunn generator with a semiconductor superlattice frequency multiplier as a radiation source, and an NbN hot electron bolometer in a direct detection mode as a THz radiation receiver was presented. The possibility of application of a quantum cascade laser as a local oscillator for a heterodyne receiver which is based on an NbN hot electron bolometer mixer is shown. The ways for further developing of the THz spectroscopy were outlined.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2100-014X ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1328
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Author Pentin, Ivan; Finkel, Matvey; Maslennikov, Sergey; Vakhtomin, Yuri; Smirnov, Konstantin; Kaurova, Nataliya; Goltsman, Gregory
Title Superconducting hot-electron-bolometer mixers for the mid-IR Type Journal Article
Year (down) 2017 Publication Rus. J. Radio Electron. Abbreviated Journal Rus. J. Radio Electron.
Volume Issue 10 Pages
Keywords IR NbN HEB mixers
Abstract The work presents the result of development of the NbN superconducting hot-electron-bolometer (HEB) mixer. The sensitive element of the mixer is directly coupled to mid-IR radiation, and doesn’t have planar metallic antenna. Investigations of noise characteristics of NbN HEB mixer were performed at the frequency 28.4 THz (λ = 10.6 µm) by using gas-discharge CW CO2-laser without consideration of optical and electrical losses in the heterodyne receiver. The noise temperature of NbN HEB mixer with the size of the sensitive element 10 µm × 10 µm was 2320 K (~ 1.5hν/kB) at the heterodyne frequency of 28.4 THz. The noise temperature was determined by measuring the Y-factor taking into account the term which describes fluctuations of zero-point oscillations in accordance with the fluctuation-dissipation theorem of Calle-Welton. Isothermal method was used to estimate the absorbed heterodyne radiation power which was 9 µW at the optimal operating point for the minimum noise temperature of NbN HEB mixer.
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Corporate Author Thesis
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Language Russian Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1684-1719 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes http://jre.cplire.ru/jre/oct17/9/abstract.html (Russian) Гетеродинный приемник со сверхпроводниковым смесителем на эффекте электронного разогрева для среднего инфракрасного диапазона Approved no
Call Number Serial 1747
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Author Tretyakov, I.; Maslennikov, S.; Semenov, A.; Safir, O.; Finkel, M.; Ryabchun, S.; Kaurova, N.; Voronov, B.; Goltsman, G.; Klapwijk, T. M.
Title Impact of operating conditions on noise and gain bandwidth of NbN HEB mixers Type Conference Article
Year (down) 2015 Publication Proc. 26th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 26th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.
Volume Issue Pages 39
Keywords NbN HEB mixers
Abstract Hot-electron bolometer mixers (HEB’s) are the most promising devices as mixing element for terahertz spectroscopy and astronomy at frequencies beyond 1.4 THz. They have a low noise temperature and low demands on local oscillator (LO) power. 1,2 An important limitation is the IF bandwidth, of the order of a few GHz, and which in principle depends on energy relaxation due to electron- phonon processes and on diffusion-cooling. It has been proposed by Prober that a reduction in length of the HEB would lead to an increased bandwidth. 3 This appeared to be achieved by Tretyakov et al by measuring the gain bandwidth close to the critical temperature of the NbN. 2 Unfortunately, the noise bandwidth of similar devices operated at temperatures around 4.2 K appear not depend on the length. The fundamental problem to be addressed is the position-dependent superconducting state of the HEB- devices under operating conditions, which determines the conditions for the cooling of the hot quasiparticles. Some progress has been made by Barends et al in a semi-empirical model to describe the I,V curves under operating conditions at a bath temperature around 4.2 K. 4 In more recent work Vercruyssen et al have analyzed the I,V curve, without any LO-equivalent bias, of a model NSN system. 5 This work suggests that the most appropriate model for an HEB under operating conditions is that of a potential-well in the superconducting gap in the center of the NbN, analogous the bimodal superconducting state described by Vercruyssen et al. Hot quasiparticles in the well can not diffuse out and can only cool by electron-phonon processes, those with higher energies than the heights of the walls of the well can diffuse out. Using this working hypothesis we have carried out experiments on a sub-micrometer NbN bridge connected to a gold (Au) planar spiral antenna. An in situ process is used to deposit Au on NbN. The Au is removed in the center to define the uncovered NbN, which will act as the superconducting mixer itself. The antenna is deposited on the remaining Au layer on the NbN. The Au contacts suppress the energy gap of the NbN film located underneath the gold layer 7,8 . The measured resistive transition is shown in Fig.1. It clearly shows a T c of the bilayer at 6.2 K and the resistive transition of the NbN itself around 9 K. In addition we show the measured noise bandwidth (red squares) for different bath temperatures. Clearly the noise bandwidth increases strongly by increasing the bath temperature from 5 K to 8 K, up to 13 GHz. We interpret this pattern as evidence for improved out-diffusion of hot electrons due to normal banks and a shallow superconducting potential well compared to k B T. As expected the noise temperature in this regime is much bigger than when biased at 4.2 K. R EFERENCES 1 W. Zhang, P. Khosropanah, J. R. Gao, E. L. Kollberg, K. S. Yngvesson, T. Bansal, R. Barends, and T. M. Klapwijk Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 111113, (2010). 2 Ivan Tretyakov, Sergey Ryabchun, Matvey Finkel, Anna Maslennikova, Natalia Kaurova, Anastasia Lobastova, Boris Voronov, and Gregory Gol’tsman Appl. Phys. Lett. 98, 033507 (2011). 3 D. E. Prober, Appl. Phys. Lett. 62, 2119 (1992). 4 R. Barends, M. Hajenius, J. R. Gao, and T. M. Klapwijk, Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 263506 (2005). 5 N. Vercruyssen, T. G. A. Verhagen, M. G. Flokstra, J. P. Pekola, and T. M. Klapwijk Physical Review B 85, 224503 (2012).
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1159
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Author Miao, W.; Zhang, W.; Zhong, J. Q.; Shi, S. C.; Delorme, Y.; Lefevre, R.; Feret, A; Vacelet, T
Title Non-uniform absorption of terahertz radiation on superconducting hot electron bolometer microbridges Type Journal Article
Year (down) 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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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
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Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 935
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Author Zhang, W.; Miao, W.; Zhong, J. Q.; Shi, S. C.; Hayton, D. J.; Vercruyssen, N.; Gao, J. R.; Goltsman, G. N.
Title Temperature dependence of the receiver noise temperature and IF bandwidth of superconducting hot electron bolometer mixers Type Journal Article
Year (down) 2014 Publication Supercond. Sci. Technol. Abbreviated Journal Supercond. Sci. Technol.
Volume 27 Issue 8 Pages 085013 (1 to 5)
Keywords NbN HEB mixers
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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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0953-2048 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1358
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Author Tretyakov, I. V.; Finkel, M. I.; Ryabchun, S. A.; Kardakova, A. I.; Seliverstov, S. V.; Petrenko, D. V.; Goltsman, G. N.
Title Hot-electron bolometer mixers with in situ contacts Type Journal Article
Year (down) 2014 Publication Radiophys. Quant. Electron. Abbreviated Journal Radiophys. Quant. Electron.
Volume 56 Issue 8-9 Pages 591-598
Keywords HEB mixers
Abstract We report on the latest achievements in the development of superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers for terahertz superheterodyne receivers. We consider application ranges of such receivers and requirements for the basic characteristics of the mixers. Main features of the mixers, such as noise temperature, gain bandwidth, noise bandwidth, and required local-oscillator power, have been improved significantly over the past few years due to intense research work, both in terms of the element fabrication quality and in terms of understanding of the physics of the processes occurring in the HEB mixers. Contacts between the superconducting bridge and the planar antenna play a key role in the mixer operation. Improvement of the quality of the contacts leads simultaneously to a decrease in the noise temperature and an increase in the gain bandwidth of a mixer.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0033-8443 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1170
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Author Shcherbatenko, Michael; Lobanov, Yury; Finkel, Matvey; Maslennikov, Sergey; Pentin, Ivan; Semenov, Alexander; Titova, Nadezhda; Kaurova, Natalya; Voronov, Boris M.; Rodin, Alexander; Klapwijk, Teunis M.; Gol’tsman, Gregory N.
Title Development of a 30 THz heterodyne receiver based on a hot-electron-bolometer mixer Type Abstract
Year (down) 2014 Publication Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 25th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.
Volume Issue Pages 122
Keywords mid-IR NbN HEB mixers, GaAs substrates
Abstract We present new Hot-Electron-Bolometer (HEB) mixers designed for mid-IR spectroscopy targeting astrophysical and geophysical observations where high sensitivity and spectral resolution are required. The mixers are made of an ultrathin NbN film deposited on GaAs substrates. Two entirely different types of the devices have been fabricated. The first type is based on a direct radiation coupling concept and the mixing devices are shaped as squares of 5×5 μm 2 (which corresponds to the diffraction limit at the chosen wavelength) and 10×10 μm 2 (which was used to establish a possible influence of the contact pads on the radiation absorption). The second type utilizes a spiral antenna designed with HFSS. The fabrication and layout of the devices as well as the performance comparison will be presented. During the experiments, the HEB mixer was installed on the cold plate of a LHe cryostat. A germanium window and an extended semi-spherical germanium lens are used to couple the radiation. The cryostat is equipped with a germanium optical filter of thickness 0.5 mm and with a center wavelength of 10.6 mμ. The incident power absorption is measured by using the isothermal method. As a Local Oscillator, a 10.6 micrometers line of a CO2 gas laser is used. We further characterize the frequency response of the spiral antenna with a FIR-spectrometer. The noise characteristics of the mixers are determined from a room temperature cold load and a heated black body at ~600 K as a hot load.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1364
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