Semenov AD, Hübers H-W, Richter H, Birk M, Krocka M, Mair U, et al. 2.5 THz heterodyne receiver with NbN hot-electron-bolometer mixer. Phys C: Supercond. 2002;372-376:448–53.
Abstract: We describe a 2.5 THz heterodyne receiver for applications in astronomy and atmospheric research. The receiver employs a superconducting NbN phonon-cooled hot-electron-bolometer mixer and an optically pumped far-infrared gas laser as local oscillator. 2200 K double sideband mixer noise temperature was measured at 2.5 THz across a 1 GHz intermediate frequency bandwidth centred at 1.5 GHz. The total conversion losses were 17 dB. The mixer response was linear at load temperatures smaller than 400 K. The receiver was tested in the laboratory environment by measuring the methanol line in emission. Observed pressure broadening confirms the true heterodyne detection regime of the mixer.
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Cherednichenko S, Kroug M, Merkel H, Khosropanah P, Adam A, Kollberg E, et al. 1.6 THz heterodyne receiver for the far infrared space telescope. Phys C: Supercond. 2002;372-376:427–31.
Abstract: A low noise heterodyne receiver is being developed for the terahertz range using a phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometric mixer based on 3.5 nm thick superconducting NbN film. In the 1–2 GHz intermediate frequency band the double-sideband receiver noise temperature was 450 K at 0.6 THz, 700 K at 1.6 THz and 1100 K at 2.5 THz. In the 3–8 GHz IF band the lowest receiver noise temperature was 700 K at 0.6 THz, 1500 K at 1.6 THz and 3000 K at 2.5 THz while it increased by a factor of 3 towards 8 GHz.
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Fedorov G, Gayduchenko I, Titova N, Gazaliev A, Moskotin M, Kaurova N, et al. Carbon nanotube based schottky diodes as uncooled terahertz radiation detectors. Phys Status Solidi B. 2018;255(1):1700227 (1 to 6).
Abstract: Despite the intensive development of the terahertz technologies in the last decade, there is still a shortage of efficient room‐temperature radiation detectors. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered as a very promising material possessing many of the features peculiar for graphene (suppression of backscattering, high mobility, etc.) combined with a bandgap in the carrier spectrum. In this paper, we investigate the possibility to incorporate individual CNTs into devices that are similar to Schottky diodes. The latter is currently used to detect radiation with a frequency up to 50 GHz. We report results obtained with semiconducting (bandgap of about 0.5 eV) and quasi‐metallic (bandgap of few meV) single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Semiconducting CNTs show better performance up to 300 GHz with responsivity up to 100 V W−1, while quasi‐metallic CNTs are shown to operate up to 2.5 THz.
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Gol'tsman G, Maslennikov S, Finkel M, Antipov S, Kaurova N, Grishina E, et al. Nanostructured ultrathin NbN film as a terahertz hot-electron bolometer mixer. In: Proc. MRS. Vol 935.; 2006. 210 (1 to 6).
Abstract: Planar spiral antenna coupled and directly lens coupled NbN HEB mixer structures are studied. An additional MgO buffer layer between the superconducting film and Si substrate is introduced. The buffer layer enables us to increase the gain bandwidth of a HEB mixer due to better acoustic transparency. The gain bandwidth is widened as NbN film thickness decreases and amounts to 5.2 GHz. The noise temperature of antenna coupled mixer is 1300 and 3100 K at 2.5 and 3.8 THz respectively. The structure and composition of NbN films is investigated by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy methods. Noise performance degradation at LO frequencies more than 3 THz is due to the use of a planar antenna and signal loss in contacts between the antenna and the sensitive NbN bridge. The mixer is reconfigured for operation at higher frequencies in a manner that receiver’s noise temperature is only 2300 K (3 times of quantum limit) at LO frequency of 30 THz.
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Zhang W, Li N, Jiang L, Miao W, Lin Z-H, Yao Q-J, et al. Noise behaviour of a THz superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixer. Chinese Phys Lett. 2007;24(6):1778–81.
Abstract: A quasi-optical superconducting NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer is measured in the frequency range of 0.5–2.5 THz for understanding of the frequency dependence of noise temperature of THz coherent detectors. It has been found that noise temperature increasing with frequency is mainly due to the coupling loss between the quasi-optical planar antenna and the superconducting HEB bridge when taking account of non-uniform distribution of high-frequency current. With the coupling loss corrected, the superconducting HEB mixer demonstrates a noise temperature nearly independent of frequency.
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