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Cherednichenko, S., Khosropanah, P., Adam, A., Merkel, H. F., Kollberg, E. L., Loudkov, D., et al. (2003). 1.4- to 1.7-THz NbN hot-electron bolometer mixer for the Herschel space observatory. In T. G. Phillips, & J. Zmuidzinas (Eds.), Proc. SPIE (Vol. 4855, pp. 361–370). SPIE.
Abstract: NbN hot- electron bolometer mixers have reached the level of 10hv/k in terms of the input noise temperature with the noise bandwidth of 4-6 GHz from subMM band up to 2.5 THz. In this paper we discuss the major characteristics of this kind of receiver, i.e. the gain and the noise bandwidth, the noise temperature in a wide RF band, bias regimes and optimisation of RF coupling to the quasioptical mixer. We present the status of the development of the mixer for Band 6 Low for Herschel Telescope.
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Cherednichenko, S., Kroug, M., Merkel, H., Khosropanah, P., Adam, A., Kollberg, E., et al. (2002). 1.6 THz heterodyne receiver for the far infrared space telescope. Phys. C: Supercond., 372-376, 427–431.
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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Tong, C. - Y. E., Meledin, D., Loudkov, D., Blundell, R., Erickson, N., Kawamura, J., et al. (2003). A 1.5 THz Hot-Electron Bolometer mixer operated by a planar diode based local oscillator. In IEEE MTT-S Int. Microwave Symp. Digest (Vol. 2, pp. 751–754).
Abstract: We have developed a 1.5 THz superconducting NbN Hot-Electron Bolometer mixer. It is operated by an all-solid-state Local Oscillator comprising of a cascade of 4 planar doublers following an MMIC based W-band power amplifier. The threshold available pump power is estimated to be 1 /spl mu/W.
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Cherednichenko, S., Kroug, M., Khosropanah, P., Adam, A., Merkel, H., Kolberg, E., et al. (2002). A broadband terahertz heterodyne receiver with an NbN HEB mixer. In Harward University (Ed.), Proc. 13th Int. Symp. Space Terahertz Technol. (pp. 85–95). Cambridge, MA, USA.
Abstract: We present a broadband and low noise heterodyne receiver for 1.4-1.7 THz designed for the Hershel Space Observatory. A phonon- cooled NbN HEB mixer was integrated with a normal metal double- slot antenna and an elliptical silicon lens. DSB receiver noise temperature Tr was measured from 1 GHz through 8GHz intermediate frequency band with 50 MHz instantaneous bandwidth. At 4.2 K bath temperature and at 1.6 THz LO frequency Tr is 800 K with the receiver noise bandwidth of 5 GHz. While at 2 K bath temperature Tr was as low as 700 K. At 0.6 THz and 1.1 THz a spiral antenna integrated NbN HEB mixer showed the receiver noise temperature 500 K and 800 K, though no antireflection coating was used in this case. Tr of 1100 K was achieved at 2.5 THz while the receiver noise bandwidth was 4 GHz.
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Loudkov, D., Tong, C. - Y. E., Blundell, R., Kaurova, N., Grishina, E., Voronov, B., et al. (2005). An investigation of the performance of the superconducting HEB mixer as a function of its RF embedding impedance. IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond., 15(2), 472–475.
Abstract: We have conducted an investigation of the optimal embedding impedance for a waveguide superconducting hot-electron bolometric (HEB) mixer. Three mixer chip designs for 800 GHz, offering nominal embedding resistances of 70 /spl Omega/, 35 /spl Omega/, and 15 /spl Omega/, have been developed. We used both High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) software and scale model impedance measurements in the design process. We subsequently fabricated HEB mixers to these designs using 3-4 nm thick NbN thin film. Receiver noise temperature measurements and Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) scans were performed to determine the optimal combination of embedding impedance and normal-state resistance for a 50 Ohm IF load impedance. A receiver noise temperature of 440 K was measured at a local oscillator frequency 850 GHz for a mixer with normal state resistance of 62 /spl Omega/ incorporated into a circuit offering a nominal embedding impedance of 70 /spl Omega/. We conclude from our data that, for low noise operation, the normal state resistance of the HEB mixer element should be close to the embedding impedance of the mixer mount.
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