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Skalare A, McGrath WR, Echternach PM, Leduc HG, Siddiqi I, Verevkin A, et al. Aluminum hot-electron bolometer mixers at submillimeter wavelengths. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.. 2001;11(1):641–4.
Abstract: Diffusion-cooled aluminum hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers are of interest for low-noise high resolution THz-frequency spectroscopy within astrophysics. Al HEB mixers offer operation with an order of magnitude less local oscillator power, higher intermediate frequency bandwidth and potentially lower noise than competing devices made from other materials. We report on mixer experiments at 618 GHz with devices fabricated from films with sheet resistances in the range from about 55 Ω down to about 9 Ω per square. Intermediate frequency bandwidths of up to 3 GHz were measured (1 μm long device), with absorbed local oscillator power levels of 0.5 to 6 nW and mixer conversion up to -21.5 dB. High input coupling efficiency implies that the electrons in the device are able to thermalize before escaping from the device. It was found that the long coherence length complicates mixer operations due to the proximity of the contact pads. Also, saturation at the IF frequency may be a concern for this type of device, and warrants further studies.
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Maslennikov SN, Morozov DV, Ozhegov RV, Smirnov KV, Okunev OV, Gol’tsman GN. Imaging system for submillimeter wave range based on AlGaAs/GaAs hot electron bolometer mixers. In: Proc. 5-th MSMW. Vol 2.; 2004. p. 558–60.
Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation of the submillimeter (SMM) range is dispersed and absorbed significantly less than infrared (IR) radiation when passing through different objects. That is the reason for the development of an SMM imaging system. In this paper, we discuss the design of an SMM heterodyne imager, based on a matrix of AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure hot electron bolometer mixers (HEB) with relatively high (about 77 K) operating temperature. The predicted double side band (DSB) noise temperature is about 1000 K and optimal local oscillator (LO) power is about 1 /spl mu/W for such mixers, which seems to be quite prospective for an SMM heterodyne imager.
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Risacher C, Meledin D, Belitsky V, Bergman P. First 1.3 THz observations at the APEX telescope. In: Proc. 20th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 2009. p. 54–61.
Abstract: The Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX) 12m telescope is operating on the Llano Chajnantor, Chile, since 2003 and a set of state of the art sub-millimeter receivers have been installed for frequencies spanning from 150 GHz to 1500 GHz. In 2008, a balanced 1.3 THz Hot Electron Bolometer (HEB) receiver was installed for the atmospheric window 1250-1380 GHz. This instrument is part of a 4-channel receiver cryostat with the other channels being 211-275 GHz, 275-370 GHz and 380-500 GHz Sideband Separating (SSB) SIS receivers. This paper presents the first observations obtained so far with the 1.3 THz band during its first months of operation. The sky measurements were taken during opportunistic commissioning and science verification phases, when the weather conditions were sufficiently good with a Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) below 0.25 mm, which was the case only a few nights during these months. We present the first observations of the molecular transition CO J=(11-10) line on different sources such as Orion-FIR4, CW-Leo and SgrB2(M). We describe the many challenges and difficulties encountered for achieving successful THz observations from a large sub-millimeter ground-based telescope.
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Gol’tsman GN. Terahertz technology in Russia. In: 24th European Microwave Conf. Vol 1.; 1994. p. 113–21.
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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Maslennikov SN, Finkel MI, Antipov SV, Polyakov SL, Zhang W, Ozhegov R, et al. Spiral antenna coupled and directly coupled NbN HEB mixers in the frequency range from 1 to 70 THz. In: Proc. 17th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Paris, France; 2006. p. 177–9.
Abstract: We investigate both antenna coupled and directly coupled HEB mixers at several LO frequencies within the range of 2.5 THz to 70 THz. H20 (2.5+10.7 THz), and CO2 (30 THz) gas discharge lasers are used as the local oscillators. The noise temperature of antenna coupled mixers is measured at LO frequencies of 2.5 THz, 3.8 THz, and 30 THz. The results for both antenna coupled and directly coupled mixer types are compared. The devices with in—plane dimensions of 5x5 ,um 2 are pumped by LO radiation at 10.7 THz. The directly coupled HEB demonstrates nearly flat dependence of responsivity on frequency in the range of 25+64 THz.
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Loudkov D, Tong CYE, Blundell R, Kaurova N, Grishina E, Voronov B, et al. An investigation of the performance of the superconducting HEB슠mixer as a function of its RF슠embedding impedance. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond.. 2005;15(2):472–5.
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Gerecht E, Musante CF, Zhuang Y, Ji M, Yngvesson KS, Goyette T, et al. NbN hot electron bolometric mixer with intrinsic receiver noise temperature of less than five times the quantum noise limit. In: Proc. IMS. Vol 2.; 2000. p. 1007–10.
Abstract: In recent years, improvements in device development and quasi-optical coupling techniques utilizing planar antennas have led to a significant achievement in low noise receivers for the edges of the submillimeter frequency regime. Hot electron bolometric (HEB) receivers made of thin superconducting films such as NbN have produced a viable option for instruments designed to measure the molecular spectra for astronomical applications as well as in remote sensing of the atmosphere in the THz regime. This paper describes an NbN HEB mixer with intrinsic DSB receiver noise temperature of at most five times the quantum noise limit at frequencies as high as 2.24 THz
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Ryabchun S, Tong C-YE, Paine S, Lobanov Y, Blundell R, Goltsman G. Temperature resolution of an HEB receiver at 810 GHz. IEEE Trans Appl Supercond. 2009;19(3):293–6.
Abstract: We present the results of direct measurements of the temperature resolution of an HEB receiver operating at 810 GHz, in both continuum and spectroscopic modes. In the continuum mode, the input of the receiver was switched between black bodies with different physical temperatures. With a system noise temperature of around 1100 K, the receiver was able to resolve loads which differed in temperature by about 1 K over an integration time of 5 seconds. This resolution is significantly worse than the value of 0.07 K given by the radiometer equation. In the spectroscopic mode, a gas cell filled with carbonyl sulphide (OCS) gas was used and the emission line at 813.3537060 GHz was measured using the receiver in conjunction with a digital spectrometer. From the observed spectra, we determined that the measurement uncertainty of the equivalent emission temperature was 2.8 K for an integration time of 0.25 seconds and a spectral resolution of 12 MHz, compared to a 1.4 K temperature resolution given by the radiometer equation. This relative improvement is due to the fact that at short integration times the contribution from 1/f noise and drift are less dominant. In both modes, the temperature resolution was improved by about 40% with the use of a feedback loop which adjusted the level of an injected microwave radiation to maintain a constant operating current of the HEB mixer. This stabilization scheme has proved to be very effective to keep the temperature resolution of the HEB receiver to close to the theoretical value given by the radiometer equation.
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Масленникова АВ, Рябчун СА, Финкель МИ, Каурова НС, Исупова АА, Воронов БМ, et al. Широкополосные смесители на горячих электронах на основе NbN наноструктур. Труды МФТИ. 2011;3(2):31–4.
Abstract: Мы приводим данные исследования полосы преобразования смесителей на горячих электронах (hot-electron bolometer, НЕВ), изготовленных на основе тонких пленок NbN. Зависимость полосы преобразования от длины смесительного элемента находится в прекрасном согласии с результатами теоретической модели HEB-смесителя, в котором энергетическая релаксация электронов одновременно происходит по двум каналам: фононному и диффузионному.
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Lobanov YV, Tong C-YE, Hedden AS, Blundell R, Gol'tsman GN. Microwave-assisted슠measurement슠of the슠frequency슠response슠of슠terahertz슠HEB슠mixers슠with a슠fourier슠transform슠spectrometer. In: 21st International Symposium on Space Terahertz Technology.; 2010. p. 420–3.
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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