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Author Skalare, A.; McGrath, William R.; Echternach, P. M.; Leduc, H. G.; Siddiqi, I.; Verevkin, A.; Prober, D. E.
Title (up) Aluminum hot-electron bolometer mixers at submillimeter wavelengths Type Journal Article
Year 2001 Publication IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. Abbreviated Journal
Volume 11 Issue 1 Pages 641-644
Keywords Al HEB mixer, contacts, interface, in situ, in-situ, Aluminium HEB mixer
Abstract Diffusion-cooled aluminum hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers are of interest for low-noise high resolution THz-frequency spectroscopy within astrophysics. Al HEB mixers offer operation with an order of magnitude less local oscillator power, higher intermediate frequency bandwidth and potentially lower noise than competing devices made from other materials. We report on mixer experiments at 618 GHz with devices fabricated from films with sheet resistances in the range from about 55 Ω down to about 9 Ω per square. Intermediate frequency bandwidths of up to 3 GHz were measured (1 μm long device), with absorbed local oscillator power levels of 0.5 to 6 nW and mixer conversion up to -21.5 dB. High input coupling efficiency implies that the electrons in the device are able to thermalize before escaping from the device. It was found that the long coherence length complicates mixer operations due to the proximity of the contact pads. Also, saturation at the IF frequency may be a concern for this type of device, and warrants further studies.
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ISSN 1051-8223 ISBN Medium
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Notes Approved no
Call Number ref919426b Serial 1061
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Author Santhanam, P.; Wind, S.; Prober, D. E.
Title (up) Localization, superconducting fluctuations, and superconductivity in thin films and narrow wires of aluminum Type Journal Article
Year 1987 Publication Phys. Rev. B Abbreviated Journal Phys. Rev. B
Volume 35 Issue 7 Pages 3188-3206
Keywords Al films; electron-phonon scattering; electron-electron scattering; Disordered structures; amorphous and glassy solids, Relaxation times and mean free paths, Galvanomagnetic and other magnetotransport effects
Abstract We report a comprehensive set of experiments on wide and narrow thin-film strips of aluminum which test the predictions of recent localization theory. The experiments on wide films in the two-dimensional regime confirm the theoretical predictions and also yield insight into inelastic mechanisms and spin-orbit scattering rates. Our extension of the existing theory for one-dimensional systems to include spin-orbit scattering and Maki-Thompson superconducting fluctuations is verified by the experiments. We find clear evidence for one-dimensional localization, with inferred inelastic rates identical to those in two-dimensional films. The prediction of the localization theory for a dimensional crossover from two-dimensional to one-dimensional behavior is also confirmed. We have reanalyzed the results of some previous experiments on thin films and narrow wires in light of these results.
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Call Number RPLAB @ gujma @ Serial 757
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Author Burke, P. J.; Schoelkopf, R. J.; Prober, D. E.; Skalare, A.; Karasik, B. S.; Gaidis, M. C.; McGrath, W. R.; Bumble, B.; LeDuc, H. G.
Title (up) Mixing and noise in diffusion and phonon cooled superconducting hot-electron bolometers Type Journal Article
Year 1999 Publication J. Appl. Phys. Abbreviated Journal
Volume 85 Issue 3 Pages 1644-1653
Keywords HEB, mixer
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ISSN 0021-8979 ISBN Medium
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 556
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Author Siddiqi, I.; Prober, D. E.
Title (up) Nb–Au bilayer hot-electron bolometers for low-noise THz heterodyne detection Type Journal Article
Year 2004 Publication Applied Physics Letters Abbreviated Journal Appl. Phys. Lett.
Volume 84 Issue 8 Pages 1404
Keywords HEB, mixers, dynamic range, saturation, LO power, local oscillator power, Nb
Abstract The sensitivity of present Nb diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers is not quantum limited, and can be improved by reducing the superconducting transition temperature TC. Lowering TC reduces thermal fluctuations, resulting in a decrease of the mixer noise temperature TM. However, lower TC mixers have reduced dynamic range and saturate more easily due to background noise. We present 30 GHz microwave measurements on a bilayer HEB system, Nb–Au, in which TC can be tuned with Au layer thickness to obtain the maximum sensitivity for a given noise background. These measurements are intended as a guide for the optimization of THz mixers. Using a Nb–Au mixer with TC = 1.6 K, we obtain TM = 50 K with 2 nW of local oscillator (LO) power. Good mixer performance is observed over a wide range of LO power and bias voltage and such a device should not exhibit saturation in a THz receiver.
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ISSN 0003-6951 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Serial 571
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Author Burke, P. J.; Schoelkopf, R. J.; Prober, D. E.; Skalare, A.; Karasik, B. S.; Gaidis, M. C.; McGrath, W. R.; Bumble, B.; Leduc, H. G.
Title (up) Spectrum of thermal fluctuation noise in diffusion and phonon cooled hot-electron mixers Type Journal Article
Year 1998 Publication Applied Physics Letters Abbreviated Journal Appl. Phys. Lett.
Volume 72 Issue 12 Pages 1516-1518
Keywords HEB mixer; thermal fluctuation noise; TFN
Abstract A systematic study of the intermediate frequency noise bandwidth of Nb thin-film superconducting hot-electron bolometers is presented. We have measured the spectrum of the output noise as well as the conversion efficiency over a very broad intermediate frequency range (from 0.1 to 7.5 GHz) for devices varying in length from 0.08 μm to 3 μm. Local oscillator and rf signals from 8 to 40 GHz were used. For a device of a given length, the spectrum of the output noise and the conversion efficiency behave similarly for intermediate frequencies less than the gain bandwidth, in accordance with a simple thermal model for both the mixing and thermal fluctuation noise. For higher intermediate frequencies the conversion efficiency decreases; in contrast, the noise decreases but has a second contribution which dominates at higher frequency. The noise bandwidth is larger than the gain bandwidth, and the mixer noise is low, between 120 and 530 K (double side band).
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Notes Approved no
Call Number RPLAB @ gujma @ Serial 760
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