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IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

Optical Response of a Cold-Electron Bolometer Array Integrated in a 345-GHz Cross-Slot Antenna

Michael A. Tarasov, L. S. Kuzmin, Valerian S. Edelman, Sumedh Mahashabde, P. de Bernardis

Published Oct 28, 2011• 37 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Two series/parallel arrays of ten cold-electron bolometers with superconductor-insulator-normal tunnel junctions were integrated in orthogonal ports of a cross-slot antenna. To increase the dynamic range of the receiver, all single bolometers in an array are connected in parallel for the microwave signal by capacitive coupling. To increase the output response, bolometers are connected in series for dc bias. With the measured voltage-to-temperature response of 8.8 μV/mK, absorber volume of 0.08 μm3, and output noise of about 10 nV/Hz1/2, we estimated the dark electrical noise equivalent power (NEP) as NEP = 6 * 10-18W/Hz1/2. The optical response down to NEP = 2 * 10-17W/Hz1/2was measured using a hot/cold load as a radiation source and a sample temperature down to 100 mK. The fluctuation sensitivity to the radiation source temperature is 1.3 * 10-4K/Hz1/2. A dynamic range over 43 dB was measured using a backward-wave oscillator, a variable polarization grid attenuator, and cold filters/attenuators.

DOI
10.1109/tasc.2011.2169793

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A capacitively coupled hot-electron nanobolometer (CC-HEB) is the simplest and most effective antenna-coupled bolometer. The bolometer consists of a small absorber connected to the superconducting antenna by tunnel junctions. The tunnel junctions used for high-frequency coupling also give perfect thermal isolation of hot electrons in the small volume of the absorber. The same tunnel junctions are used for temperature measurements and electron cooling. This bolometer does not suffer from the frequency limitations in the submillimeter range due to the high potential barrier of the tunnel junctions as does the microbolometer with Andreev mirrors (A-HEB), which is limited by the superconducting gap. Theoretical analyses show that the two-junction configuration more than doubles the sensitivity of the bolometer in current-biased mode compared to the single-junction configuration used for A-HEB. Another important advantage of CC-HEB is its simple two-layer technology for sample fabrication. Samples were fabricated with an absorber made of a bilayer of Cr and Al to match the impedance of the antenna. Electrodes were made of Al and tunnel junctions were formed over the Al oxide layer. The coupling capacitances of the tunnel junctions, C ≈ 20 fF, in combination with the inductance of the 10 μm absorber create a bandpass filter with a central frequency around 300 GHz. Bolometers are integrated with log-periodic and double-dipole planar antennas made of Au. The temperature response of bolometer structures was measured at temperatures down to 256 mK. In our experiment we observed dV/dT=1.3 mV/K, corresponding to responsivity S=0.2.109 V/W. For amplifier noise Vna=3nV/Hz1/2 at 1 kHz the estimated total noise equivalent power is NEP=1.5.10-17 W/Hz1/2. The intrinsic bolometer self noise Vnbol=0.5 nV/Hz1/2 corresponds to NEP=3.10-18 W/Hz1/2. For microwave evaluation of bolometer sensitivity we used a black body radiation source comprising a thin NiCr stimulator placed on the cold plate of cryostat in front of a CC-HEB attached to an extended hemisphere sapphire lens. This measurements were consistent with estimates based on the dc responsivity of the bolometer.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Feb 1, 2003•6 citations
Two series/parallel arrays of ten cold-electron bolometers with superconductor-insulator-normal tunnel junctions were integrated in orthogonal ports of a cross-slot antenna. To increase the dynamic range of the receiver, all single bolometers in an array are connected in parallel for the microwave signal by capacitive coupling. To increase the output response, bolometers are connected in series for dc bias. With the measured voltage-to-temperature response of 8.8 μV/mK, absorber volume of 0.08 μm3, and output noise of about 10 nV/Hz1/2, we estimated the dark electrical noise equivalent power (NEP) as NEP = 6 * 10-18W/Hz1/2. The optical response down to NEP = 2 * 10-17W/Hz1/2was measured using a hot/cold load as a radiation source and a sample temperature down to 100 mK. The fluctuation sensitivity to the radiation source temperature is 1.3 * 10-4K/Hz1/2. A dynamic range over 43 dB was measured using a backward-wave oscillator, a variable polarization grid attenuator, and cold filters/attenuators.
Cold electron bolometers integrated with twin-slot antennas have been designed and fabricated. Optical response was measured in 0.06-0.6 K temperature range using black body radiation source at temperature 2-15 K. The responsivity of 0.3109 V/W was measured at 2.7 K radiation temperature. The estimated ultimate dark responsivity at 100 mK can approach Sv=1010 V/W and reduces down to 1.1108 V/W at 300 mK for the sample with absorber volume of 510-20 m3. At high power load levels and low temperatures the changes of tunneling current, dynamic resistance and voltage response have been explained by non-thermal energy distribution of excited electrons. Distribution of excited electrons in such system is of none-Fermi type, electrons with energies of the order of 1 K tunnel from normal metal absorber to superconductor instead of relaxing down to thermal energy kTe. This effect can reduce quantum efficiency of bolometer from hf/kTph in ideal case down to single electron per signal quantum in the high power case.
A novel concept of the parallel/series array of Cold-Electron Bolometers (CEB) with Superconductor-Insulator-Normal (SIN) Tunnel Junctions has been proposed for matching with JFET readout. The current-biased CEBs are connected in series for DC and in parallel for HF signal. A signal is concentrated to the absorber through the capacitance of tunnel junctions and additional capacitance for coupling of superconducting islands. Due to dividing power between CEBs in the array and increasing responsivity, the noise matching could be effectively optimized and the photon Noise Equivalent Power could be easily achieved at 300 mK with a room temperature JFET readout.
In this paper, we present the measurements of optical response dependence on power load of a Cold Electron Bolometer integrated in a twin slot antenna. These measurements are also compared to the models of the bolometer limit and the photon counter limit. The responsivity of 0.22*109V/W was measured at 0.22 pW radiation power from a black body at 3.5 K. According to our estimations, for optimized device the voltage responsivity at 100 mK electron temperature can approach S v = 1010V/W for power load below 0.1 pW and decreases down to 107V/W at 300 mK for 5 pW signal power in a sample with absorber volume of 5*10-20m3. In the case of low bath temperatures and high applied RF power the changes of tunneling current, dynamic resistance and voltage response are explained by non-thermal energy distribution of excited electrons. Distribution of excited electrons in such system at lower temperatures can be of non-Fermi type, hot electrons with energies of the order of 1 K tunnel from normal metal absorber to superconductor instead of relaxing down to thermal energy kTein absorber before tunneling. This effect can reduce quantum efficiency of the bolometer at 350 GHz from η = hf/kTph> 100 in ideal case down to single electron per absorbed photon ( η = 1) in the high power case. Methods of preserving high quantum efficiency are discussed.
We present experimental results on the testing of cold-electron bolometer (CEB) detectors comprised of a thin Ti film absorber and two SIN junctions integrated with a planar antenna. The CEB performance was tested in a He-3 sorption cryostat HELIOX-AC-V at bath temperatures of 280-305 mK. The optical response was measured using the hot/cold load method by flipping a Cu reflector opposite a blackbody surface inside a 3 K shield and using a thermal source with variable temperature. In the first experiment, the detector chip was mounted in an optical sample-holder whose aperture was switched towards or away from a blackbody source changing the incident radiation temperature from 3 K to 270 mK. As a result, we measured the optical response to a 3 K/270 mK radiation temperature change. The measured voltage response value for the detector integrated in a double-dipole antenna was Delta V-out = 120 mu V. This corresponds to a noise equivalent power of NEP = V-n/(dV/dP) = 3.5 x 10(-17) W Hz(-1/2), where dV/dP is the voltage to power response obtained from the incoming power estimation based on the Planck formula.
For sensitive wideband spectroscopy at THz frequencies with performance better than for Fourier Transform Spectrometer, one needs a wide-range electrically tunable, narrow linewidth THz source, and a sensitive broadband detector. To obtain a low noise level of sensor we use a superconducting normal metal cold electron bolometer (CEB). A voltage response of the bolometer is 4.108 V/W and an amplifier-limited technical noise equivalent power of the bolometer is 1.25.10-17 W/Hz1/2. The wide band electrically tuned terahertz band cryogenic oscillator is a Josephson junction. Contrary to conventional Josephson junctions based on niobium, and naturally limited in frequency by energy gap of about 700 GHz, the high critical temperature YBaCuO junctions can extend this limit by an order of magnitude. At 4 K such oscillators can radiate at frequencies exceeding 2 THz. Signals received by bolometers integrated with double-dipole and log-periodic antennas and irradiated by the Josephson oscillator show in our experiments the high frequency response corresponding to an oscillation frequency of up to 1.75 THz. Such cryogenic terahertz network analyzer is suitable for low-signal spectral evaluation of cryogenic detectors, quasioptical sub-mm cryogenic filters, planar antennas with planar microwave filters, integrated structures comprising such elements, and arrays of cryogenic receivers.
A capacitively coupled hot-electron nanobolometer (CC-HEB) is the simplest and most effective antenna-coupled bolometer. The bolometer consists of a small absorber connected to the superconducting antenna by tunnel junctions. The tunnel junctions used for high-frequency coupling also give perfect thermal isolation of hot electrons in the small volume of the absorber. The same tunnel junctions are used for temperature measurements and electron cooling. This bolometer does not suffer from the frequency limitations in the submillimeter range due to the high potential barrier of the tunnel junctions as does the microbolometer with Andreev mirrors (A-HEB), which is limited by the superconducting gap. Theoretical analyses show that the two-junction configuration more than doubles the sensitivity of the bolometer in current-biased mode compared to the single-junction configuration used for A-HEB. Another important advantage of CC-HEB is its simple two-layer technology for sample fabrication. Samples were fabricated with an absorber made of a bilayer of Cr and Al to match the impedance of the antenna. Electrodes were made of Al and tunnel junctions were formed over the Al oxide layer. The coupling capacitances of the tunnel junctions, C ≈ 20 fF, in combination with the inductance of the 10 μm absorber create a bandpass filter with a central frequency around 300 GHz. Bolometers are integrated with log-periodic and double-dipole planar antennas made of Au. The temperature response of bolometer structures was measured at temperatures down to 256 mK. In our experiment we observed dV/dT=1.3 mV/K, corresponding to responsivity S=0.2.109 V/W. For amplifier noise Vna=3nV/Hz1/2 at 1 kHz the estimated total noise equivalent power is NEP=1.5.10-17 W/Hz1/2. The intrinsic bolometer self noise Vnbol=0.5 nV/Hz1/2 corresponds to NEP=3.10-18 W/Hz1/2. For microwave evaluation of bolometer sensitivity we used a black body radiation source comprising a thin NiCr stimulator placed on the cold plate of cryostat in front of a CC-HEB attached to an extended hemisphere sapphire lens. This measurements were consistent with estimates based on the dc responsivity of the bolometer.