|
|
Shurakov, A., Tong, E., Blundell, R., & Gol'tsman, G. (2012). Microwave stabilization of HEB mixer by a microchip controller. In IEEE MTT-S international microwave symposium digest (pp. 1–3).
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.
|
|
|
|
Vercruyssen, N., Verhagen, T. G. A., Flokstra, M. G., Pekola, J. P., & Klapwijk, T. M. (2012). Evanescent states and nonequilibrium in driven superconducting nanowires. Phys. Rev. B, 85, 224503(1–10).
Abstract: We study the nonlinear response of current transport in a superconducting diffusive nanowire between normal reservoirs. We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally the existence of two different superconducting states appearing when the wire is driven out of equilibrium by an applied bias, called the global and bimodal superconducting states. The different states are identified by using two-probe measurements of the wire, and measurements of the local density of states with tunneling probes. The analysis is performed within the framework of the quasiclassical kinetic equations for diffusive superconductors.
|
|
|
|
Pütz, P., Honingh, C. E., Jacobs, K., Justen, M., Schultz, M., & Stutzki, J. (2012). Terahertz hot electron bolometer waveguide mixers for GREAT. A&A, 542, L2.
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.
|
|
|
|
Zhang, W., Miao, W., Yao, Q. J., Lin, Z. H., Shi, S. C., Gao, J. R., et al. (2012). Spectral response and noise temperature of a 2.5 THz spiral antenna coupled NbN HEB mixer. Phys. Procedia, 36, 334–337.
Abstract: We report on a 2.5 THz spiral antenna coupled NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers, fabricated with in-situ process. The receiver noise temperature with lowest value of 1180 K is in good agreement with calculated quantum efficiency factor as a function of bias voltage. In addition, the measured spectral response of the spiral antenna coupled NbN HEB mixer shows broad frequency coverage of 0.8-3 THz, and corrected response for optical losses, FTS, and coupling efficiency between antenna and bolometer falls with frequency due to diffraction-limited beam of lens/antenna combination.
|
|
|
|
Pentin, I. V., Smirnov, A. V., Ryabchun, S. A., Ozhegov, R. V., Gol’tsman, G. N., Vaks, V. L., et al. (2012). Semiconducting superlattice as a solid-state terahertz local oscillator for NbN hot-electron bolometer mixers. Tech. Phys., 57(7), 971–974.
Abstract: We present the results of our studies of the semiconducting superlattice (SSL) frequency multiplier and its application as part of the solid state local oscillator (LO) in the terahertz heterodyne receiver based on a NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer. We show that the SSL output power level increases as the ambient temperature is lowered to 4.2 K, the standard HEB operation temperature.
|
|
|
|
Smirnov, A. V., Baryshev, A. M., de Bernardis, P., Vdovin, V. F., Gol'tsman, G. N., Kardashev, N. S., et al. (2012). The current stage of development of the receiving complex of the millimetron space observatory. Radiophys. Quant. Electron., 54(8), 557–568.
Abstract: We present an overview of the state of the onboard receiving complex of the Millimetron space observatory in the development phase of its preliminary design. The basic parameters of the onboard equipment planned to create and required for astrophysical observations are considered. A review of coherent and incoherent detectors, which are central to each receiver of the observatory, is given. Their characteristics and limiting parameters feasible at the present level of technology are reported.
|
|
|
|
De Luca, M., Gupta, H., Neufeld, D., Gerin, M., Teyssier, D., Drouin, B. J., et al. (2012). Herschel/HIFI discovery of HCL+ in the interstellar medium. Astrophys. J. Lett., 751(2), L37.
Abstract: The radical ion HCl+, a key intermediate in the chlorine chemistry of the interstellar gas, has been identified for the first time in the interstellar medium with the Herschel Space Observatory's Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared. The ground-state rotational transition of H35Cl+, 2Π3/2 J = 5/2-3/2, showing Λ-doubling and hyperfine structure, is detected in absorption toward the Galactic star-forming regions W31C (G10.6-0.4) and W49N. The complex interstellar absorption features are modeled by convolving in velocity space the opacity profiles of other molecular tracers toward the same sources with the fine and hyperfine structure of HCl+. This structure is derived from a combined analysis of optical data from the literature and new laboratory measurements of pure rotational transitions, reported in the accompanying Letter by Gupta et al. The models reproduce well the interstellar absorption, and the frequencies inferred from the astronomical observations are in exact agreement with those calculated using spectroscopic constants derived from the laboratory data. The detection of H37Cl+ toward W31C, with a column density consistent with the expected 35Cl/37Cl isotopic ratio, provides additional evidence for the identification. A comparison with the chemically related molecules HCl and H2Cl+ yields an abundance ratio of unity with both species (HCl+ : H2Cl+ : HCl ~ 1). These observations also yield the unexpected result that HCl+ accounts for 3%-5% of the gas-phase chlorine toward W49N and W31C, values several times larger than the maximum fraction (~1%) predicted by chemical models.
|
|
|
|
Shurakov, A., Seliverstov, S., Kaurova, N., Finkel, M., Voronov, B., & Goltsman, G. (2012). Input bandwidth of hot electron bolometer with spiral antenna. IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Technol., 2(4), 400–405.
Abstract: We report the results of our study of the input bandwidth of hot electron bolometers (HEB) embedded into the planar log-spiral antenna. The sensitive element is made of the ultrathin superconducting NbN film patterned as a bridge at the feed of the antenna. The contacts between the antenna and a sensitive element are made from in situ deposited gold (i.e., deposited over NbN film without breaking vacuum), which gives high quality contacts and makes the response of the HEB at higher frequencies less affected by the RF loss. An accurate experimental spectroscopic procedure is demonstrated that leads to the confirmation of the wide ( 8 THz) bandwidth in this antenna coupled device.
|
|
|
|
Smirnov, A. V., Karmantsov, M. S., Smirnov, K. V., Vakhtomin, Y. B., Masterov, D. V., Tarkhov, M. A., et al. (2012). Terahertz response of thin-film YBCO bolometers. Tech. Phys., 57(12), 1716–1719.
Abstract: The bolometric response of high-temperature thin-film YBCO superconducting detectors to an electromagnetic radiation with a frequency of 2.5 THz is measured for the first time. The minimum value of the noise-equivalent power of the detectors is 3.5 × 10−9 W/Hz−−−√. The feasibility of further increasing the sensitivity of the detectors is discussed.
|
|
|
|
Смирнов, А. В., Карманцов, М. С., Смирнов, К. В., Вахтомин, Ю. Б., Мастеров, Д. В., Тархов, М. А., et al. (2012). Терагерцовый отклик болометров на основе тонких пленок YBCO. ЖТФ, 82(12), 108–111.
Abstract: Представлены первые результаты измерения болометрического отклика высокотемпературных сверхпроводниковых детекторов на основе тонких пленок YBCO на электромагнитное излучение с частотой 2.5 THz. Минимальное значение оптической мощности, эквивалентной шуму созданных детекторов, составило 3.5· 10-9 W/sqrt(Hz)sqrt. Обсуждена возможность дальнейшего увеличения чувствительности исследуемых детекторов.
|
|
