Huebers H-W, Semenov A, Richter H, Birk M, Krocka M, Mair U, et al. Superconducting hot electron bolometer as mixer for far-infrared heterodyne receivers. In: Phillips TG, Zmuidzinas J, editors. Proc. SPIE. Vol 4855. Tucson, USA: SPIE; 2003. p. 395–401. (Presented at the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference; vol 4855).
Abstract: Heterodyne receivers for applications in astronomy need quantum limited sensitivity. In instruments which are currently under development for SOFIA or Herschel superconducting hot electron bolometers (HEB) will be used to achieve this goal at frequencies above 1.4 THz. We present results of the development of a phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixer for GREAT, the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, which will be flown aboard SOFIA. The mixer is a small superconducting bridge incorporated in a planar feed antenna and a hyperhemispherical lens. Mixers with logarithmic-spiral and double-slot feed antennas have been investigated with respect to their noise temperature, conversion loss, linearity and beam pattern. At 2.5 THz a double sideband noise temperature of 2200 K was achieved. The conversion loss was 17 dB. The response of the mixer was linear up to 400 K load temperature. The performance was verified by measuring an emission line of methanol at 2.5 THz. The measured linewidth is in good agreement with the linewidth deduced from pressure broadening measurements at millimeter wavelength. The results demonstrate that the NbN HEB is very well suited as a mixer for far-infrared heterodyne receivers.
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Cherednichenko S, Drakinskiy V, Baubert J, Lecomte B, Dauplay F, Krieg JM, et al. 2.5 THz multipixel heterodyne receiver based on NbN HEB mixers. In: Proc. SPIE. Vol 6275.; 2006. 62750I (1 to 11).
Abstract: A 16 pixel heterodyne receiver for 2.5 THz has been developed based on NbN superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. The receiver uses a quasioptical RF coupling approach where HEB mixers are integrated into double dipole antennas on 1.5 µm thick Si3N4/SiO2 membranes. Spherical mirrors (one per pixel) and backshort distance from the antenna have been used to design the output mixer beam profile. The camera design allows all 16 pixel IF readout in parallel. The gain bandwidth of the HEB mixers on Si3N4/SiO2 membranes was found to be 0.7÷0.9 GHz, which is much smaller than for similar devices on silicon. Application of buffer layers and use of alternative types of membranes (e.g. silicon-on-insulator) is under investigation.
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Genack AZ, Kopp VI, Churikov VM, Singer J, Chao N, Neugroschl DA. Chiral fiber Bragg gratings. In: Proceedings of the SPIE. Vol 5508.; 2004. p. 57–64.
Abstract: We have produced chiral fiber Bragg gratings with double-helix symmetry and measured the polarization and wavelength selective transmission properties of these structures. These gratings interact only with circularly polarized light with the same handedness as the grating twist and freely transmit light of the orthogonal polarization. The optical characteristics of chiral fibers are compared to those of planar cholesteric structures. The resonant standing wave at the band edge or at a defect state within the band gap, as well as the evanescent wave within the band gap is comprised of two counterpropagating components of equal amplitude. The electric field vector of such a circularly polarized standing wave does not rotate in time; rather it is linearly polarized in any given plane. The standing wave may be described in terms of the sense of circular polarization of the two counterpropagating components. The wavelength dependence of the angle q between the linearly polarized electromagnetic field and the extraordinary axis, which is constant throughout a long structure, is obtained in a simple calculation. The results are in good agreement with scattering matrix calculations. Resonant chiral gratings are demonstrated for microwave radiation whereas chiral gratings with pitch exceeding the wavelength are demonstrated at optical wavelengths in single-mode glass fibers. The different functionalities of these fibers are discussed.
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Leisawitz DT, Danchi WC, Dipirro MJ, Feinberg LD, Gezari DY, Hagopian M, et al. Scientific motivation and technology requirements for the SPIRIT and SPECS far-infrared/submillimeter space interferometers. In: Proc. SPIE. Vol 4013.; 2000. p. 36–46.
Abstract: Far infrared interferometers in space would enable extraordinary measurements of the early universe, the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets, and would have great discovery potential. Since half the luminosity of the universe and 98% of the photons released since the Big Bang are now observable at far IR wavelengths (40 – 500 micrometers ), and the Earth's atmosphere prevents sensitive observations from the ground, this is one of the last unexplored frontiers of space astronomy. We present the engineering and technology requirements that stem from a set of compelling scientific goals and discuss possible configurations for two proposed NASA missions, the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope and the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure.
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Klapwijk TM, Barends R, Gao JR, Hajenius M, Baselmans JJA. Improved superconducting hot-electron bolometer devices for the THz range. In: Proc. SPIE. Vol 5498.; 2004. p. 129–39.
Abstract: 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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