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Gol'tsman GN, Karasik BS, Okunev OV, Dzardanov AL, Gershenzon EM, Ekstrom H, et al. NbN hot electron superconducting mixers for 100 GHz operation. IEEE Trans Appl Supercond. 1995;5(2):3065–8.
Abstract: NbN is a promising superconducting material for hot-electron superconducting mixers with an IF bandwidth larger than 1 GHz. In the 1OO GHz frequency range, the following parameters were obtained for 50 /spl Aring/ thick NbN films at 4.2 K: receiver noise temperature (DSB) /spl sim/1000 K; conversion loss /spl sim/10 dB; IF bandwidth /spl sim/1 GHz; and local oscillator power /spl sim/1 /spl mu/W. An increase of the critical current of the NbN film, increased working temperature, and a better mixer matching may allow a broader IF bandwidth up to 2 GHz, reduced conversion losses down to 3-5 dB and a receiver noise temperature (DSB) down to 200-300 K.
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Semenov A, Richter H, Smirnov K, Voronov B, Gol'tsman G, Hübers H-W. The development of terahertz superconducting hot-electron bolometric mixers. Supercond Sci Technol. 2004;17(5):436–9.
Abstract: We present recent advances in the development of NbN hot-electron bolometric (HEB) mixers for flying terahertz heterodyne receivers. Three important issues have been addressed: the quality of the source NbN films, the effect of the bolometer size on the spectral properties of different planar feed antennas, and the local oscillator (LO) power required for optimal operation of the mixer. Studies of the NbN films with an atomic force microscope indicated a surface structure that may affect the performance of the smallest mixers. Measured spectral gain and noise temperature suggest that at frequencies above 2.5 THz the spiral feed provides better overall performance than the double-slot feed. Direct measurements of the optimal LO power support earlier estimates made in the framework of the uniform mixer model.
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Kroug M, Yagoubov P, Gol'tsman G, Kollberg E. NbN quasioptical phonon cooled hot electron bolometric mixers at THz frequencies. In: Inst. Phys. Conf. Ser. Vol 1. Bristol; 1997. p. 405–8.
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Merkel HF, Yagoubov PA, Kroug M, Khosropanah P, Kollberg EL, Gol’tsman GN, et al. Noise temperature and absorbed LO power measurement methods for NbN phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric mixers at terahertz frequencies. In: Proc. 28th European Microwave Conf. Vol 1.; 1998. p. 294–9.
Abstract: In this paper the absorbed LO power requirements and the noise performance of NbN based phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric (HEB) quasioptical mixers are investigated for RF frequencies in the 0.55-1.1 range The minimal measured DSB noise temperatures are about 500 K at 640 GHz, 600 K at 750 GHz, 850 K at 910 GHz and 1250 K at 1.1 THz. The increase in noise temperature at 1.1THz is attributed to water absorption. The absorbed LO power is measured using a calorimetric approach. The results are subsequently corrected for lattice heating. These values are compared to results of a novel one dimensional hot spot mixer models and to a more traditional isotherm method which tends to underestimate the absorbed LO power for small bias powers. Typically a LO power between 50nW and 100nW is needed to pump the device to the optimal operating point.
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Gerecht E, Musante CF, Jian H, Yngvesson KS, Dickinson J, Waldman J, et al. Measured results for NbN phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric mixers at 0.6-0.75 THz, 1.56 THz, and 2.5 THz. In: Proc. 9th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.; 1998. p. 105–14.
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