Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology

A Low Noise 2.7 THz Waveguide-Based Superconducting Mixer

Faouzi M. Boussaha, Jonathan H. Kawamura, J. A. Stern, Anders J. Skalare, Victor E. White

Published Apr 4, 2012• 17 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report on a low noise waveguide-based heterodyne mixer utilizing a superconductiang NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) operating near 2.7 THz. The mixer is an NbN nano-bridge integrated with a gold bowtie planar antenna on an ultra-thin silicon substrate of ~ 2-3 μm thickness. To produce the waveguide embedding circuit for use at such a high frequency, we adopted a novel approach combining UV-lithography and micro-plating techniques. The mixer response agreed precisely with model predictions, and we measured a minimum uncorrected DSB receiver noise temperature of 965 K at an LO frequency of 2.74 THz.

DOI
10.1109/tthz.2012.2189393

Related papers

A low-noise 2.7 THz waveguide based superconducting mixer

Faouzi M. Boussaha, Kawamura Jonathan, J. A. Stern +2 more

We report on a low noise waveguide-based heterodyne mixer utilizing a superconductiang NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) operating near 2.7 THz. The mixer is an NbN nano-bridge integrated with a gold bowtie planar antenna on an ultra-thin siliconsubstrateof 23 mthickness.Toproducethewaveguide embedding circuit for use at such a high frequency, we adopted a novel approach combining UV-lithography and micro-plating techniques. The mixer response agreed precisely with model predictions, and we measured a minimum uncorrected DSB receiver noise temperature of 965 K at an LO frequency of 2.74 THz.

•Jan 1, 2012•0 citations

2.7 THz Balanced Waveguide HEB Mixer

Faouzi M. Boussaha, Jonathan H. Kawamura, J. A. Stern +1 more

We report on the development of a waveguide-based balanced superconducting mixer for operation near 2.7 THz. The mixer employs a pair of NbN hot-electron bolometers defined on 6 μm-thick silicon substrate that follows a 90°hybrid coupler. To produce the critical structures of the coupler and waveguide embedding circuit, we have utilized silicon micromachining techniques based on deep reactive ion etching. Operating near 4.2 K bath temperature, we have measured a minimum uncorrected DSB receiver noise temperature of less than 2000 K using Callen-Welton formula and local oscillator sideband noise rejection better than 13±3 dB at 2.74 THz. The concept is suitable for building arrays, readily scalable for higher frequencies up 5 THz, and could accommodate other mixer technologies, such as room-temperature Schottky diode mixers.

IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology•Jul 30, 2014•23 citations

Low Noise Receivers Using Niobium Nitride Hot Electron Bolometer Mixers from 0.76 to 3.1 THz

J. Chen, Min Liang, Lin Kang +5 more

Low noise receivers using quasi-optical superconducting niobium nitride (NbN) hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers have been designed, fabricated and measured in the terahertz (THz) frequency range for THz applications in astronomy and cosmology. The NbN HEB mixers consist of a planar complementary antenna and several nanometer (nm) thick NbN bridge connecting across the antenna's inner terminals on high-resistivity Si substrates. A double sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature of 664 K at 0.76 THz, 920 K at 1.6 THz, 1630 K at 2.5 THz and 1710 K at 3.1 THz has been obtained without corrections and no anti-reflection (AR) coating on the surface of the lens.

•Jan 1, 2009•1 citation

Noise performance of quasioptical ultrathin NbN hot-electron bolometer mixer at 2.5 and 3.8 THz

Sergey V. Antipov, Yu.B. Vachtornin, S. N. Maslennikov +5 more

To put space-based and airborne heterodyne instruments into operation at frequencies above 1 THz the superconducting NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) will be incorporated into heterodyne receiver as a mixer. At frequencies above 1.3 THz the sensitivity of the NbN HEB mixers outperform the one of the Schottky diodes and SIS-mixers, and the receiver noise temperature of the NbN HEB mixers increase with frequency. In this paper we present the results of the noise temperature measurements within one batch of NbN HEB mixers based on 3.5 mn thick superconducting NbN film grown on Si substrate with MgO buffer layer at the LO frequencies 2.5 THz and 3.8 THz.

International Kharkiv Symposium on Physics and Engineering of Microwaves, Millimeter and Submillimeter Waves•Oct 26, 2004•0 citations

Investigation of NbN phonon-cooled HEB mixers at 2.5 THz

Gerhard W. Schwaab, G. Sirmain, Josef Schubert +6 more

The development of superconducting hot electron bolometric (HEB) mixers has been a big step forward in the direction of quantum noise limited mixer performance at THz frequencies. Such mixers are crucial for the upcoming generation of airborne and spaceborne THz heterodyne receivers. In this paper we report on new results on a phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixer using e-beam lithography. The superconducting film is 3 nm thick. The mixer is 0.2 /spl mu/m long and 1.5 /spl mu/m wide and it is integrated in a spiral antenna on a Si substrate. The device is quasi-optically coupled through a Si lens and a dielectric beam combiner to the radiation of an optically pumped FIR ring gas laser cavity. The performance of the mixer at different THz frequencies from 0.69 to 2.55 THz with an emphasis on 2.52 THz is demonstrated. At 2.52 THz minimum DSB noise temperatures of 4200 K have been achieved at an IF of 1.5 GHz and a bandwidth of 40 MHz with the mixer mounted in a cryostat and a 0.8 m long signal path in air.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 1999•1 citation

Superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer mixer at terahertz

Biaobing Jin, Jianhui Chen, Min Liang +3 more

Superconducting niobium nitride (NbN) hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers at terahertz (THz) have been designed, fabricated and measured for applications in astronomy and cosmology. The NbN HEB mixer consists of a planar antenna and an NbN bridge connecting across the antenna's inner terminals on high-resistivity Si substrates. Double sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperatures of 698 K at 0.65 THz, 904 K at 1.6 THz, 1026 K at 2.5 THz and 1386 K at 3.1 THz have been obtained at 4.2 K without corrections and using changeable input local oscillation (LO) power to eliminate the affects of direct detection and instability of the LO power. The excess quantum noise factor beta of about 4 has been estimated using a quantum noise model.

International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz)•Sep 1, 2009•0 citations
We report on a low noise waveguide-based heterodyne mixer utilizing a superconductiang NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) operating near 2.7 THz. The mixer is an NbN nano-bridge integrated with a gold bowtie planar antenna on an ultra-thin silicon substrate of ~ 2-3 μm thickness. To produce the waveguide embedding circuit for use at such a high frequency, we adopted a novel approach combining UV-lithography and micro-plating techniques. The mixer response agreed precisely with model predictions, and we measured a minimum uncorrected DSB receiver noise temperature of 965 K at an LO frequency of 2.74 THz.
We report on a low noise waveguide-based heterodyne mixer utilizing a superconductiang NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) operating near 2.7 THz. The mixer is an NbN nano-bridge integrated with a gold bowtie planar antenna on an ultra-thin siliconsubstrateof 23 mthickness.Toproducethewaveguide embedding circuit for use at such a high frequency, we adopted a novel approach combining UV-lithography and micro-plating techniques. The mixer response agreed precisely with model predictions, and we measured a minimum uncorrected DSB receiver noise temperature of 965 K at an LO frequency of 2.74 THz.
We report on the development of a waveguide-based balanced superconducting mixer for operation near 2.7 THz. The mixer employs a pair of NbN hot-electron bolometers defined on 6 μm-thick silicon substrate that follows a 90°hybrid coupler. To produce the critical structures of the coupler and waveguide embedding circuit, we have utilized silicon micromachining techniques based on deep reactive ion etching. Operating near 4.2 K bath temperature, we have measured a minimum uncorrected DSB receiver noise temperature of less than 2000 K using Callen-Welton formula and local oscillator sideband noise rejection better than 13±3 dB at 2.74 THz. The concept is suitable for building arrays, readily scalable for higher frequencies up 5 THz, and could accommodate other mixer technologies, such as room-temperature Schottky diode mixers.
Low noise receivers using quasi-optical superconducting niobium nitride (NbN) hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers have been designed, fabricated and measured in the terahertz (THz) frequency range for THz applications in astronomy and cosmology. The NbN HEB mixers consist of a planar complementary antenna and several nanometer (nm) thick NbN bridge connecting across the antenna's inner terminals on high-resistivity Si substrates. A double sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature of 664 K at 0.76 THz, 920 K at 1.6 THz, 1630 K at 2.5 THz and 1710 K at 3.1 THz has been obtained without corrections and no anti-reflection (AR) coating on the surface of the lens.
To put space-based and airborne heterodyne instruments into operation at frequencies above 1 THz the superconducting NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) will be incorporated into heterodyne receiver as a mixer. At frequencies above 1.3 THz the sensitivity of the NbN HEB mixers outperform the one of the Schottky diodes and SIS-mixers, and the receiver noise temperature of the NbN HEB mixers increase with frequency. In this paper we present the results of the noise temperature measurements within one batch of NbN HEB mixers based on 3.5 mn thick superconducting NbN film grown on Si substrate with MgO buffer layer at the LO frequencies 2.5 THz and 3.8 THz.
The development of superconducting hot electron bolometric (HEB) mixers has been a big step forward in the direction of quantum noise limited mixer performance at THz frequencies. Such mixers are crucial for the upcoming generation of airborne and spaceborne THz heterodyne receivers. In this paper we report on new results on a phonon-cooled NbN HEB mixer using e-beam lithography. The superconducting film is 3 nm thick. The mixer is 0.2 /spl mu/m long and 1.5 /spl mu/m wide and it is integrated in a spiral antenna on a Si substrate. The device is quasi-optically coupled through a Si lens and a dielectric beam combiner to the radiation of an optically pumped FIR ring gas laser cavity. The performance of the mixer at different THz frequencies from 0.69 to 2.55 THz with an emphasis on 2.52 THz is demonstrated. At 2.52 THz minimum DSB noise temperatures of 4200 K have been achieved at an IF of 1.5 GHz and a bandwidth of 40 MHz with the mixer mounted in a cryostat and a 0.8 m long signal path in air.
Superconducting niobium nitride (NbN) hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers at terahertz (THz) have been designed, fabricated and measured for applications in astronomy and cosmology. The NbN HEB mixer consists of a planar antenna and an NbN bridge connecting across the antenna's inner terminals on high-resistivity Si substrates. Double sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperatures of 698 K at 0.65 THz, 904 K at 1.6 THz, 1026 K at 2.5 THz and 1386 K at 3.1 THz have been obtained at 4.2 K without corrections and using changeable input local oscillation (LO) power to eliminate the affects of direct detection and instability of the LO power. The excess quantum noise factor beta of about 4 has been estimated using a quantum noise model.