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Ynvesson, K. Sigfrid; Kollberg, Erik L. |
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Optimum receiver noise temperature for NbN HEB mixers according to standard model |
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1999 |
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Proc. 10th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
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566-582 |
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HEB mixer model, standard model, electro-thermal feedback, self-heating parameter, heating efficiency |
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895 |
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Pütz, P.; Honingh, C. E.; Jacobs, K.; Justen, M.; Schultz, M.; Stutzki, J. |
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Title |
Terahertz hot electron bolometer waveguide mixers for GREAT |
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2012 |
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Astron. Astrophys. |
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A&A |
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542 |
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L2 |
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HEB mixer, applications |
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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. |
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907 |
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Cherednichenko, Sergey; Drakinskiy, Vladimir; Berg, Therese; Khosropanah, Pourya; Kollberg, Erik |
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Title |
Hot-electron bolometer terahertz mixers for the Herschel Space Observatory |
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Journal Article |
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2008 |
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Review of Scientific Instruments |
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Rev. Sci. Instrum. |
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79 |
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034501 |
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HEB mixer, HEB detector, HEB direct detector, applications |
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We report on low noise terahertz mixers(1.4–1.9THz) developed for the heterodyne spectrometer onboard the Herschel Space Observatory. The mixers employ double slot antenna integrated superconducting hot-electron bolometers (HEBs) made of thin NbN films. The mixer performance was characterized in terms of detection sensitivity across the entire rf band by using a Fourier transform spectrometer (from 0.5to2.5THz, with 30GHz resolution) and also by measuring the mixernoise temperature at a limited number of discrete frequencies. The lowest mixernoise temperature recorded was 750K [double sideband (DSB)] at 1.6THz and 950KDSB at 1.9THz local oscillator (LO) frequencies. Averaged across the intermediate frequency band of 2.4–4.8GHz, the mixernoise temperature was 1100KDSB at 1.6THz and 1450KDSB at 1.9THz LO frequencies. The HEB heterodyne receiver stability has been analyzed and compared to the HEB stability in the direct detection mode. The optimal local oscillator power was determined and found to be in a 200–500nW range. |
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908 |
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Author |
Khosropanah, Pourya |
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Title |
NbN and NbTiN hot electron bolometer THz mixers |
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2003 |
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Chalmers University of Technology |
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HEB mixer, hot electron bolometer mixer, NbN, NbTiN, superconducting detector, heterodyne receiver, THz mixer, submillimeter mixer, quasioptical receiver, double slot antenna, twin slot antenna, spiral antenna, receiver noise, FTS, Fourier Transform Spectrometer |
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The thesis reports the development of Hot Electron Bolometer (HEB) mixers for radio astronomy heterodyne receivers in THz frequency range. Part of this work is the fabrication of HEB devices, which are based on NbN or NbTiN superconducting thin films (â‰<a4>5 nm). They are integrated with wideband spiral or double-slot planar antennas. The mixer chips are incorporated into a quasi-optical receiver. The experimental part of this work focuses on the characterization of the receiver as a whole, and the HEB mixers as a part. Double side band receiver noise temperature and the IF bandwidth are reported for frequencies from 0.7 THz up to 2.6 THz. The spectrum of the direct response of HEB integrated with dierent antennas are measured using Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS). The effect of the bolometer size on total receiver performance and the LO power requirements is also discussed. A high-yield and reliable process for fabrication of NbN HEB mixers have been achieved. Over 100 devices with different bolometer geometry, film property and also different antennas have been fabricated and measured. The measured data enables us to discuss the impact of different parameters to the receiver overall performance.
This work has provided NbN HEB mixers to the following receivers:
TREND (Terahertz REceiver with NbN HEB Device) operating at 1.25-1.5 THz, installed in AST/RO Submillimeter Wave Telescope, Amundsen/Scott South Pole Station, in 2002-2003.
Band 6-low (1.410-1.700 THz) and 6-high (1.700-1.920 THz) of the HIFI (Heterodyne Instrument for Far Infra-red) in the Herschel Space Observatory, due to launch in 2007 by ESA (European Space Agency).
Besides, there has been continuous efforts to develop better models to explain the mixer performance more accurately. They are based on two temperature model for electrons and phonons and solving one-dimensional heat balance equations along the bolometer. The principles of these models are illustrated and the calculated results are compared with measured data. |
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Ph.D. thesis |
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Chalmers University of Technology |
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Göteborg |
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910 |
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Author |
Yagoubov, P.; Kroug, M.; Merkel, H.; Kollberg, E.; Gol'tsman, G.; Svechnikov, S.; Gershenzon, E. |
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Noise temperature and local oscillator power requirement of NbN phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric mixers at terahertz frequencies |
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Journal Article |
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1998 |
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Appl. Phys. Lett. |
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Appl. Phys. Lett. |
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73 |
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19 |
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2814-2816 |
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NbN HEB mixers, noise temperature, local oscillator power |
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In this letter, the noise performance of NbN-based phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric quasioptical mixers is investigated in the 0.55–1.1 THz frequency range. The best results of the double-sideband <cd><2018>DSB<cd><2019> noise temperature are: 500 K at 640 GHz, 600 K at 750 GHz, 850 K at 910 GHz, and 1250 K at 1.1 THz. The water vapor in the signal path causes significant contribution to the measured receiver noise temperature around 1.1 THz. The devices are made from 3-nm-thick NbN film on high-resistivity Si and integrated with a planar spiral antenna on the same substrate. The in-plane dimensions of the bolometer strip are typically 0.2Ï«2 um. The amount of local oscillator power absorbed in the bolometer is less than 100 nW. |
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911 |
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Klapwijk, T. M.; Barends, R.; Gao, J. R.; Hajenius, M.; Baselmans, J. J. A. |
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Improved superconducting hot-electron bolometer devices for the THz range |
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Conference Article |
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2004 |
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Proc. SPIE |
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Proc. SPIE |
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5498 |
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129-139 |
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HEB mixer distributed model, numerical model |
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Improved and reproducible heterodyne mixing (noise temperatures of 950 K at 2.5 THz) has been realized with NbN based hot-electron superconducting devices with low contact resistances. A distributed temperature numerical model of the NbN bridge, based on a local electron and a phonon temperature, has been used to understand the physical conditions during the mixing process. We find that the mixing is predominantly due to the exponential rise of the local resistivity as a function of electron temperature. |
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Invited talk, Recommended by Klapwijk |
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912 |
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Phillips, T. G.; Jefferts, K. B. |
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A low temperature bolometer heterodyne receiver for Millimeter wave astronomy |
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1973 |
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Rev. Sci. Instrum. |
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Rev. Sci. Instrum. |
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44 |
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8 |
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1009-1014 |
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InSb HEB mixer |
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Liquid helium cooled InSb hot electronbolometers are used in a balanced mixer configuration as detectors for an imagelessmicrowave receiver. The system is designed for mounting at the prime focus of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) 11 m antenna at Kitt Peak, Arizona, and is suitable for the study of rotational line spectra of interstellar gas molecules. Currently the operating frequency is in the 90–140 GHz band where the double sideband system noise temperature is 250 K. |
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Recommended by Klapwijk |
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927 |
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Miao, W.; Zhang, W.; Zhong, J. Q.; Shi, S. C.; Delorme, Y.; Lefevre, R.; Feret, A; Vacelet, T |
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Non-uniform absorption of terahertz radiation on superconducting hot electron bolometer microbridges |
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2014 |
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Appl. Phys. Lett. |
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<ef><bf><bc>Appl. Phys. Lett. |
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104 |
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052605(1-4) |
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NbN HEB mixers, local oscillator power, RF nonuniform absorption |
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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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Kawamura, J.; Blundell, R.; Tong, C.-Y. E.; Golts'man, G.; Gershenzon, E.; Voronov B. |
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Superconductive NbN hot-electron bolometric mixer performance at 250 GHz |
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1996 |
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Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
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Proc. 7th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. |
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331-336 |
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NbN HEB mixers |
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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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Trifonov, A.; Tong, C.-Y. E.; Blundell, R.; Ryabchun, S.; Gol'tsman, G. |
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Probing the stability of HEB mixers with microwave injection |
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2015 |
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IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. |
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IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. |
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25 |
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3 |
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2300404 (1 to 4) |
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NbN HEB mixer, stability, Allan-variance |
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Using a microwave probe as a tool, we have performed experiments aimed at understanding the origin of the output-power fluctuations in hot-electron-bolometer (HEB) mixers. We use a probe frequency of 1.5 GHz. The microwave probe picks up impedance changes of the HEB, which are examined upon demodulation of the reflected wave outside the cryostat. This study shows that the HEB mixer operates in two different regimes under a terahertz pump. At a low pumping level, strong pulse modulation is observed, as the device switches between the superconducting state and the normal state at a rate of a few megahertz. When pumped much harder, to approximate the low-noise mixer operating point, residual modulation can still be observed, showing that the HEB mixer is intrinsically unstable even in the resistive state. Based on these observations, we introduced a low-frequency termination to the HEB mixer. By terminating the device in a 50-Ω resistor in the megahertz frequency range, we have been able to improve the output-power Allan time of our HEB receiver by a factor of four to about 10 s for a detection bandwidth of 15 MHz, with a corresponding gain fluctuation of about 0.035%. |
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