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Tong C-YE, Trifonov A, Shurakov A, Blundell R, Gol’tsman G. A microwave-operated hot-electron-bolometric power detector for terahertz radiation. IEEE Trans Appl Supercond. 2015;25(3):2300604 (1 to 4).
Abstract: A new class of microwave-operated THz power detectors based on the NbN hot-electron-bolometer (HEB) mixer is proposed. The injected microwave signal ( 1 GHz) serves the dual purpose of pumping the HEB element and enabling the read-out of the internal state of the device. A cryogenic amplifier amplifies the reflected microwave signal from the device and a homodyne scheme recovers the effects of the incident THz radiation. Two modes of operation have been identified, depending on the level of incident radiation. For weak signals, we use a chopper to chop the incident radiation against a black body reference and a lock-in amplifier to perform synchronous detection of the homodyne readout. The voltage measured is proportional to the incident power, and we estimate an optical noise equivalent power of 5pW/ √Hz at 0.83 THz. At higher signal levels, the homodyne circuit recovers the stream of steady relaxation oscillation pulses from the HEB device. The frequency of these pulses is in the MHz frequency range and bears a linear relationship with the incident THz radiation over an input power range of 15 dB. A digital frequency counter is used to measure THz power. The applicable power range is between 1 nW and 1 μW.
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Seliverstov SV, Rusova AA, Kaurova NS, Voronov BM, Goltsman GN. AC-biased superconducting NbN hot-electron bolometer for frequency-domain multiplexing. In: Proc. 28th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 2017. p. 120–2.
Abstract: We present the results of characterization of fast and sensitive superconducting antenna-coupled THz direct detector based on NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) with AC-bias. We discuss the possibility of implementation of the AC-bias for design the readout system from the multi-element arrays of HEBs using standard technique of frequency-domain multiplexing. We demonstrate experimentally that this approach does not lead to significant deterioration of the HEB sensitivity compared with the value obtained for the same detector with DC- bias. Results of a numerical calculations of the HEB responsivity at AC-bias are in a good agreement with the experiment.
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Antipov S, Trifonov A, Krause S, Meledin D, Desmaris V, Belitsky V, et al. Gain bandwidth of NbN HEB mixers on GaN buffer layer operating at 2 THz local oscillator frequency. In: Proc. 28th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 2017. p. 147–8.
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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Seliverstov SV, Anfertyev VA, Tretyakov IV, Ozheredov IA, Solyankin PM, Revin LS, et al. Terahertz heterodyne receiver with an electron-heating mixer and a heterodyne based on the quantum-cascade laser. Radiophys Quant Electron. 2017;60(7):518–24.
Abstract: We study characteristics of the laboratory prototype of a terahertz heterodyne receiver with an electron-heating mixer and a heterodyne based on the quantum-cascade laser. The results obtained demonstrate the possibility to use this receiver as a basis for creation of a high-sensitivity terahertz spectrometer, which can be used in many basic and practical applications. A significant advantage of this receiver will be the possibility of placing the mixer and heterodyne in the same cryostat, which will reduce the device dimensions considerably. The obtained experimental results are analyzed, and methods of optimizing the parameters of the receiver are proposed.
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Anfertev V, Vaks V, Revin L, Pentin I, Tretyakov I, Goltsman G, et al. High resolution THz gas spectrometer based on semiconductor and superconductor devices. In: EPJ Web Conf. Vol 132.; 2017. 02001 (1 to 2).
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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Krause S, Mityashkin V, Antipov S, Gol’tsman G, Meledin D, Desmaris V, et al. Reduction of phonon escape time for nbn hot electron bolometers by using gan buffer layers. IEEE Trans Terahertz Sci Technol. 2017;7(1):53–9.
Abstract: In this paper, we investigated the influence of the GaN buffer layer on the phonon escape time of phonon-cooled hot electron bolometers (HEBs) based on NbN material and compared our findings to conventionally employed Si substrate. The presented experimental setup and operation of the HEB close to the critical temperature of the NbN film allowed for the extraction of phonon escape time in a simplified manner. Two independent experiments were performed at GARD/Chalmers and MSPU on a similar experimental setup at frequencies of approximately 180 and 140 GHz, respectively, and have shown reproducible and consistent results. By fitting the normalized IF measurement data to the heat balance equations, the escape time as a fitting parameter has been deduced and amounts to 45 ps for the HEB based on Si substrate as in contrast to a significantly reduced escape time of 18 ps for the HEB utilizing the GaN buffer layer under the assumption that no additional electron diffusion has taken place. This study indicates a high phonon transmissivity of the NbN-to-GaN interface and a prospective increase of IF bandwidth for HEB made of NbN on GaN buffer layers, which is desirable for future THz HEB heterodyne receivers.
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Trifonov A, Tong C-YE, Lobanov Y, Kaurova N, Blundell R, Goltsman G. Photon absorption near the gap frequency in a hot electron bolometer. IEEE Trans Appl Supercond. 2017;27(4):1–4.
Abstract: The superconducting energy gap is a fundamental characteristic of a superconducting film, which, together with the applied pump power and the biasing setup, defines the instantaneous resistive state of the Hot Electron Bolometer (HEB) mixer at any given bias point on the I-V curve. In this paper we report on a series of experiments, in which we subjected the HEB to radiation over a wide frequency range along with parallel microwave injection. We have observed three distinct regimes of operation of the HEB, depending on whether the radiation is above the gap frequency, far below it or close to it. These regimes are driven by the different patterns of photon absorption. The experiments have allowed us to derive the approximate gap frequency of the device under test as about 585 GHz. Microwave injection was used to probe the HEB impedance. Spontaneous switching between the superconducting (low resistive) state and a quasi-normal (high resistive) state was observed. The switching pattern depends on the particular regime of HEB operation and can assume a random pattern at pump frequencies below the gap to a regular relaxation oscillation running at a few MHz when pumped above the gap.
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Pentin I, Finkel M, Maslennikov S, Vakhtomin Y, Smirnov K, Kaurova N, et al. Superconducting hot-electron-bolometer mixers for the mid-IR. Rus J Radio Electron [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2024 Jul 8];(10):http://jre.cplire.ru/jre/oct17/9/text.pdf. Available from: http://jre.cplire.ru/jre/oct17/9/abstract_e.html
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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Tretyakov IV, Anfertyev VA, Revin LS, Kaurova NS, Voronov BM, Vaks VL, et al. Sensitivity and resolution of a heterodyne receiver based on the NbN HEB mixer with a quantum-cascade laser as a local oscillator. Radiophys Quant Electron. 2018;60(12):988–92.
Abstract: We present the results of experimental studies of the basic characteristics and operation features of a terahertz heterodyne detector based on the superconducting NbN HEB mixer and a quantum cascade laser as a local oscillator operating at a frequency of 2.02 THz. The measured noise temperature of such a mixer amounted to 1500 K. The spectral resolution of the detector is determined by the width of the local-oscillator spectral line whose measured value does not exceed 1 MHz. The quantum-cascade laser could be linearly tuned with respect to frequency with the coefficient 7.2 MHz/mA within the limits of the current oscillation bandwidth.
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Tretyakov I, Kaurova N, Voronov BM, Goltsman GN. About effect of the temperature operating conditions on the noise temperature and noise bandwidth of the terahertz range NbN hot-electron bolometers [abstract]. In: Proc. 29th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 2018. 113.
Abstract: Results of an experimental study of the noise temperature (Tn) and noise bandwidth (NBW) of the superconductor NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer as a function of its temperature (Tb) and NbN bridge length are presented. It was determined that the NBW of the mixer is significantly wider at temperatures close to the critical ones (Tc) than are values measured at 4.2 K. The NBW of the mixer measured at the heterodyne frequency of 2.5 THz at temperature Tb close to Tc was ~13 GHz, as compared with 6 GHz at Tb = 4.2 K. This experiment clearly demonstrates the limitation of the thermal flow from the NbN bridge at Tb ≪ Tc for mixers manufactured by the in situ technique. This limitation is close in its nature to the Andreev reflection on the superconductor/metal boundary. In this case, the noise temperature of the studied mixer increased from 1100 to 3800 K.
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