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Superconductor Science and Technology

Broad-band coupling of THz radiation to an hot-electron bolometer mixer

Yu. P. Gousev, A. D. Semenov, Rainer S. Nebosis, E.V. Pechen, A. V. Varlashkin, Karl Friedrich Renk

Published Sep 1, 1996• 20 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report on broad-band coupling of THz radiation to an superconducting hot-electron bolometer. The bolometer - a micro-bridge of an film with a protection layer - was built in a hybrid quasioptical antenna system consisting of a planar self-complementary spiral antenna on a dielectric substrate and an extended hyperhemispherical lens. The planar antenna was integrated into a coplanar transmission line for broad-band intermediate-frequency matching. Measurements performed in the direct detection regime between 2.5 THz and 4.2 THz delivered a system coupling efficiency for the radiation in the fundamental Gaussian mode of about 0.1 and a beam width of the radiation pattern of less than one degree. The pattern was consistent with the far-field radiation pattern that we calculated with a ray-tracing technique. At an intermediate frequency of 1.5 GHz we measured an output noise temperature of for the bolometer driven in the resistive state by both dc and THz current and estimated, for the heterodyne regime, a system noise temperature of . We studied the effect of a protection layer on the rate of phonon escape from the micro-bridge and, thus, on the output frequency bandwidth of the device. We discuss possibilities of a significant improvement of the device performance.

DOI
10.1088/0953-2048/9/9/012

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•May 1, 2000•4 citations
We report on broad-band coupling of THz radiation to an superconducting hot-electron bolometer. The bolometer - a micro-bridge of an film with a protection layer - was built in a hybrid quasioptical antenna system consisting of a planar self-complementary spiral antenna on a dielectric substrate and an extended hyperhemispherical lens. The planar antenna was integrated into a coplanar transmission line for broad-band intermediate-frequency matching. Measurements performed in the direct detection regime between 2.5 THz and 4.2 THz delivered a system coupling efficiency for the radiation in the fundamental Gaussian mode of about 0.1 and a beam width of the radiation pattern of less than one degree. The pattern was consistent with the far-field radiation pattern that we calculated with a ray-tracing technique. At an intermediate frequency of 1.5 GHz we measured an output noise temperature of for the bolometer driven in the resistive state by both dc and THz current and estimated, for the heterodyne regime, a system noise temperature of . We studied the effect of a protection layer on the rate of phonon escape from the micro-bridge and, thus, on the output frequency bandwidth of the device. We discuss possibilities of a significant improvement of the device performance.
We report on the use of a superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixer for heterodyne detection of terahertz radiation. Radiation with a wavelength of 119 μm was coupled to the mixer, a NbN microbridge, by a hybrid quasioptical antenna consisting of an extended hyperhemispherical lens and a planar logarithmic spiral antenna. We found, at an intermediate frequency of 1.5 GHz, a system double side band noise temperature of ≊40 000 K and conversion losses of 25 dB. We also discuss the possibilities of further improvement of the mixer performance.
We present recent results showing the development of superconducting NbN hot-electron bolometer mixer for German receiver for astronomy at terahertz frequencies and terahertz limb sounder. The mixer is incorporated into a planar feed antenna, which has either logarithmic spiral or double-slot configuration, and backed on a silicon lens. The hybrid antenna had almost frequency independent and symmetric radiation pattern slightly broader than expected for a diffraction limited antenna. At 2.5 THz the best 2200 K double side-band receiver noise temperature was achieved across a 1 GHz intermediate frequency bandwidth centred at 1.5 GHz. For this operation regime, a receiver conversion efficiency of -17 dB was directly measured and the loss budget was evaluated. The mixer response was linear at load temperatures smaller than 400 K. Implementation of the MgO buffer layer on Si resulted in an increased 5.2 GHz gain bandwidth. The receiver was tested in the laboratory environment by measuring a methanol emission line at 2.5 THz.
We report the measured sensitivities of a superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) heterodyne receiver at 5.25 THz. Terahertz (THz) radiation is quasioptically coupled to a HEB mixer with a lens and a spiral antenna. Using a measurement setup with black body calibration sources and a beam splitter in vacuo, and an antireflection coated Si lens, we obtained a double sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature (TrecDSB) of 1150 K, which is nine times hν/2k, where h is the Planck constant, ν the frequency, and k the Boltzmann constant. In addition, the measured far field beam patterns of the integrated lens antenna show nearly collimated beams from 2.5 to 5.3 THz that allow reliable measurement of TrecDSB using the vacuum setup. Our experimental results in combination with an antenna-to-bolometer coupling simulation suggest that the HEB mixer can work well at least up to 6 THz, making it suitable for next generation of high-resolution spectroscopic space telescopes and, in particular, for the detection of the neutral atomic oxygen line at 4.7 THz.
We report the measured sensitivities of a superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) heterodyne receiver at 5.25 THz. The terahertz (THz) radiation is quasioptically coupled to the HEB mixer with a lens and a spiral antenna. Using a measurement setup with black body calibration sources and a beam splitter in vacuum, and an antireflection coated Si lens, we obtained a double sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature ( ) of 1150 K, which is 4.5 times h/k (the quantum limit). In addition, the measured far field beam patterns of the integrated lens antenna from 2.5 THz to 5.3 THz show collimated beams that make it reliable to measure using the vacuum setup. Our experimental results in combination with an antenna-to-bolometer coupling simulation suggest that the HEB mixer can work well at least up to 6 THz, suitable for next generation of high-resolution spectroscopic space telescopes and, in particular, for the detection of the neutral atomic oxygen (OI) line at 4.7 THz. DSB rec T
The performance of a NbN based phonon-cooled Hot Electron Bolometric (HEB) quasioptical mixer is investigated in the 0.65-3.12 THz frequency range. The device is made from a 3 nm thick NbN film on high resistivity Si and integrated with a planar spiral antenna on the same substrate. The in-plane dimensions of the bolometer strip are 0.2/spl times/2 /spl mu/m. The best results of the DSB noise temperature at 1.5 GHz IF frequency obtained with one device are: 1300 K at 650 GHz, 4700 K at 2.5 THz and 10000 K at 3.12 THz. The measurements were performed at 4.5 K ambient temperature. The amount of local oscillator (LO) power absorbed in the bolometer is about 100 nW. The mixer is linear to within 1 dB compression up to the signal level 10 dB below that of the LO. The intrinsic single sideband conversion gain measured at 650 GHz is -9 dB, the total conversion gain is -14 dB.
We measure the direct response of a Nb di usion-cooled hot electron bolometer mixer in a frequency range between 0.5 THz and 3.5 THz. The mixer consists essentially of a twin slot antenna, a co-planar waveguide transmission line and a Nb superconducting bridge. It is designed for use in receivers with astronomical and atmospherical applications around 2.5 THz. We calculate the impedance of the antenna, the transmission line and the bridge separately using models which are developed for frequencies below 1 THz and predict the direct response of the mixer. We demonstrate that these models can be applied to much higher frequencies. However, the measured central frequency is 10-15% lower than predicted. Using a far infrared (FIR) laser, the device can be fully pumped at 2.5 THz. A preliminary Y-factor measurement shows a corrected noise temperature of