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Author Semenov, A. D.; Hübers, H.-W.; Richter, H.; Birk, M.; Krocka, M.; Mair, U.; Smirnov, K.; Gol'tsman, G. N.; Voronov, B. M.
Title 2.5 THz heterodyne receiver with NbN hot-electron-bolometer mixer Type Journal Article
Year 2002 Publication Phys. C: Supercond. Abbreviated Journal Phys. C: Supercond.
Volume 372-376 Issue Pages 448-453
Keywords (up) NbN HEB mixers, applications
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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Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0921-4534 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1526
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Author Semenov, A.; Richter, H.; Smirnov, A.; Günther, B.; Hübers, H.-W.; Il’in, K.; Siegel, M.; Gol’tsman, G.; Drakinskiy, V.; Merkel, H.; Karamarkovic, J.
Title Development of HEB mixers for GREAT and for security screening Type Abstract
Year 2007 Publication Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. Abbreviated Journal Proc. 18th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol.
Volume Issue Pages 184
Keywords (up) NbN HEB mixers, GREAT
Abstract We report the study on the quasioptical coupling efficiency and the gain bandwidth of NbN hot-electron bolometer mixers developed for the 4.7 THz channel of the German receiver for Astronomy at THz-frequencies (GREAT) and for security screening at subterahertz frequencies. Radiation coupling efficiency and directive properties of integrated lens antennas with log-spiral, log-periodic and double-slot planar feeds coupled to a hot-electron bolometer were experimentally studied at frequencies from 1 THz to 6 THz and compared with simulations based on the method of moments and the physical-optics ray tracing. For all studied antennas the modeled spectral dependence of the coupling efficiency fits to the experimental data obtained with both Fourier transform spectroscopy and noise temperature measurements only if the complex impedance of the bolometer is explicitly taken into account. Our experimental data did not indicate any noticeable contribution of the quantum noise to the system noise temperature. The experimentally observed deviation of the beam pattern from the model prediction increases with frequency and is most likely due to a non- ideality of the presently used lenses. Study of the intermediate frequency mixer gain at local oscillator (LO) frequencies between 2.5 THz and 0.3 THz showed an increase of the gain bandwidth at low LO frequencies that was understood as the contribution of the direct interaction of magnetic vortices with the radiation field. We have found that the non- homogeneous hot-spot model more adequately describes variation of the intermediate frequency bandwidth with the applied local oscillator power than any of uniform mixer models. The state-of-the-day performance of the GREAT 4.7-THz channel and the 0.8-THz security scanner will be presented.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1420
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Author Semenov, A.; Engel, A.; Il'in, K.; Gol'tsman, G.; Siegel, M.; Hübers, H.-W.
Title Ultimate performance of a superconducting quantum detector Type Journal Article
Year 2003 Publication Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. Abbreviated Journal Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys.
Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 171-178
Keywords (up) NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract We analyze the ultimate performance of a superconducting quantum detector in order to meet requirements for applications in near-infrared astronomy and X-ray spectroscopy. The detector exploits a combined detection mechanism, in which avalanche quasiparticle multiplication and the supercurrent jointly produce a voltage response to a single absorbed photon via successive formation of a photon-induced and a current-induced normal hotspot in a narrow superconducting strip. The response time of the detector should increase with the photon energy providing energy resolution. Depending on the superconducting material and operation conditions, the cut-off wavelength for the single-photon detection regime varies from infrared waves to visible light. We simulated the performance of the background-limited infrared direct detector and X-ray photon counter utilizing the above mechanism. Low dark count rate and intrinsic low-frequency cut-off allow for realizing a background limited noise equivalent power of 10−20 W Hz−1/2 for a far-infrared direct detector exposed to 4-K background radiation. At low temperatures, the intrinsic response time of the counter is rather determined by diffusion of nonequilibrium electrons than by the rate of energy transfer to phonons. Therefore, thermal fluctuations do not hamper energy resolution of the X-ray photon counter that should be better than 10−3 for 6-keV photons. Comparison of new data obtained with a Nb based detector and previously reported results on NbN quantum detectors support our estimates of ultimate detector performance.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1286-0042 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 534
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Author Lusche, R.; Semenov, A.; Korneeva, Y.; Trifonov, A.; Korneev, A.; Gol'tsman, G.; Hübers, H.-W.
Title Effect of magnetic field on the photon detection in thin superconducting meander structures Type Journal Article
Year 2014 Publication Phys. Rev. B Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. B
Volume 89 Issue 10 Pages 104513 (1 to 7)
Keywords (up) NbN SSPD, SNSPD
Abstract We have studied the influence of an externally applied magnetic field on the photon and dark count rates of meander-type niobium nitride superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors. Measurements have been performed at a temperature of 4.2 K, and magnetic fields up to 250 mT have been applied perpendicularly to the meander plane. While photon count rates are field independent at weak applied fields, they show a strong dependence at fields starting from approximately ±25 mT. This behavior, as well as the magnetic field dependence of the dark count rates, is in good agreement with the recent theoretical model of vortex-assisted photon detection and spontaneous vortex crossing in narrow superconducting lines. However, the local reduction of the superconducting free energy due to photon absorption, which is the fitting parameter in the model, increases much slower with the photon energy than the model predicts. Furthermore, changes in the free-energy during photon counts and dark counts depend differently on the current that flows through the meander. This indicates that photon counts and dark counts occur in different parts of the meander.
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Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1098-0121 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1367
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Author Sidorova, M.; Semenov, Alexej D.; Hübers, H.-W.; Ilin, K.; Siegel, M.; Charaev, I.; Moshkova, M.; Kaurova, N.; Goltsman, G. N.; Zhang, X.; Schilling, A.
Title Electron energy relaxation in disordered superconducting NbN films Type Journal Article
Year 2020 Publication Phys. Rev. B Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. B
Volume 102 Issue 5 Pages 054501 (1 to 15)
Keywords (up) NbN SSPD, SNSPD, HEB, bandwidth, relaxation time
Abstract We report on the inelastic-scattering rate of electrons on phonons and relaxation of electron energy studied by means of magnetoconductance, and photoresponse, respectively, in a series of strongly disordered superconducting NbN films. The studied films with thicknesses in the range from 3 to 33 nm are characterized by different Ioffe-Regel parameters but an almost constant product qTl (qT is the wave vector of thermal phonons and l is the elastic mean free path of electrons). In the temperature range 14–30 K, the electron-phonon scattering rates obey temperature dependencies close to the power law 1/τe−ph∼Tn with the exponents n≈3.2–3.8. We found that in this temperature range τe−ph and n of studied films vary weakly with the thickness and square resistance. At 10 K electron-phonon scattering times are in the range 11.9–17.5 ps. The data extracted from magnetoconductance measurements were used to describe the experimental photoresponse with the two-temperature model. For thick films, the photoresponse is reasonably well described without fitting parameters, however, for thinner films, the fit requires a smaller heat capacity of phonons. We attribute this finding to the reduced density of phonon states in thin films at low temperatures. We also show that the estimated Debye temperature in the studied NbN films is noticeably smaller than in bulk material.
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Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 2469-9950 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 1266
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