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 Applied Superconductivity

A 1.4 THz Quasi‐Optical NbN Superconducting HEB Mixer Developed for the DATE5 Telescope

Kangmin Zhou, W. Miao, Z. Lou, Jie Hu, S. L. Li, Wen Zhang, S. C. Shi, R. Lefèvre, Y. Delorme, T. Vacelet

Published Dec 4, 2014• 18 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper, the performance of a twin-slot antenna coupled NbN superconducting HEB mixer based on a new device fabrication process is thoroughly investigated. The measured lowest double-sideband receiver noise temperature is about 600 K at 1.3 THz, and reduced to 300 K after eliminating all the quasi-optical losses. The spectral response of the HEB mixer is characterized by a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) and its calibrated spectrum is in good agreement with the simulated one. In addition, the far-field beam pattern of this HEB mixer is characterized by a near-field measurement technique. The measured results agree well with the simulations too.

DOI
10.1109/tasc.2014.2378051

Related papers

A 1.4-THz Superconducting HEB Mixer for DATE5

W. Zhang, Wei Miao, Kang Zhang +1 more

Purple Mountain Observatory as well as its collaborators is proposing to build a 5-m THz telescope (DATE5) at Dome A, Antarctic. Two THz heterodyne receivers, with one at 1.4 THz, are being considered as its first generation instrument. Here we report on the development of a 1.4-THz superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer for DATE5, which adopts a twin-slot antenna design. The direct-detection spectral (FTS) response of the 1.4-THz superconducting HEB mixer, with the HEB device fabricated at MSPU, has been measured, giving a frequency coverage of 0.8~1.5THz. And the measured FTS response appears in good agreement with the simulated one. Preliminary noise- temperature measurement at a lower frequency of 0.85 THz shows a receiver noise temperature of 1500 K. The estimated performance at 1.4 THz should be less than 1000 K in terms of the measured FTS response. Detailed simulation and experimental results will be presented.

•Jan 1, 2012•1 citation

Noise Temperature and Beam Pattern of a Quasioptical Heterodyne Receiver based on NbN Hot Electron Bolometer Mixer at 5.25 THz

W. Zhang, P. Khosropanah, J. R. Gao +4 more

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

Softwaretechnik-Trends•Mar 1, 2010•0 citations

Noise temperature and beam pattern of an NbN hot electron bolometer mixer at 5.25 THz

W. Zhang, P. Khosropanah, J. R. Gao +4 more

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.

Journal of Applied Physics•Nov 1, 2010•42 citations

Performance of a 1.4 THz Twin-Slot Superconductivity Hot Electron Bolometer Mixer

Daowei Wang, Kangmin Zhou, Yuan Ren +3 more

Three observation bands are planned for the Dome A Terahertz Explorer (DATE5), with the superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) served as the mixer for the H200 band ( 200 μm wavelength). In this paper, the performance of a twin-slot antenna coupled superconducting NbN HEB mixer is fully characterized at 1.34 THz. The measured uncorrected receiver noise temperature is 500 K and the intermediate frequency (IF) noise bandwidth is about 3 GHz. Moreover, the receiver stability is characterized by measuring the Allan variance time.

International Conference on Microwave and Millimeter Wave Technology (ICMMT)•May 1, 2018•0 citations

Performance Investigation of a Quasi-Optical NbN HEB Mixer at Submillimeter Wavelength

Wei Miao, Y. Delorme, A. Féret +8 more

In this paper, the performance of a quasi-optical phonon-cooled NbN superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer is thoroughly investigated. The variation of the receiver noise temperature and the conversion gain around 600 GHz with respect to DC bias voltage and LO pumping level has been measured. The lowest receiver noise temperature is 750 K and reduced to about 250 K after correcting the quasi-optical losses before the HEB mixer. We compared the measured results with the predictions according to one dimensional distributed hot spot model. A reasonable match between theoretical model and experiment is observed. In addition, the direct response of the HEB mixer (integrated with a log-periodic spiral antenna) is measured by using Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS). The stability of the receiver is also investigated by means of Allan variance time measurements performed with an intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth of 40 MHz.

•Apr 1, 2009•0 citations

Far-field beam-pattern of a twin-slot HEB mixer at 600GHz

Kangmin Zhou, Y. Delorme, Roland Lefèvre +5 more

In this paper, we report on the measured and simulated far-field beam-patterns of a quasi-optical NbN superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer at 600GHz. This superconducting HEB mixer consists of an extended hemispherical lens with a diameter of 12.7mm and an extension length of 2.45mm, a twin-slot planar antenna (two slots measuring 148.5μm × 10.4μm with a separation of 78.98μm) and a 5.5-nm thick NbN thin-film micro-bridge with an area of 2μm × 0.2μm . The far-field beam pattern of this mixer is measured by a direct-detection technique with a dynamic range of nearly 25dB, showing an FWHM beam angle of 2.7° and -18dB level of the first side-lobe. The measured beam of the quasi-optical mixer is nearly collimated and has good Gaussian beam efficiency. In addition, the far-field beam-pattern is measured at different DC bias voltages of the superconducting HEB mixer and at different bath temperatures. The measured results are compared with the ones simulated by two different methods. Detailed measurement and simulation results will be presented.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Nov 10, 2014•0 citations
In this paper, the performance of a twin-slot antenna coupled NbN superconducting HEB mixer based on a new device fabrication process is thoroughly investigated. The measured lowest double-sideband receiver noise temperature is about 600 K at 1.3 THz, and reduced to 300 K after eliminating all the quasi-optical losses. The spectral response of the HEB mixer is characterized by a Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS) and its calibrated spectrum is in good agreement with the simulated one. In addition, the far-field beam pattern of this HEB mixer is characterized by a near-field measurement technique. The measured results agree well with the simulations too.
Purple Mountain Observatory as well as its collaborators is proposing to build a 5-m THz telescope (DATE5) at Dome A, Antarctic. Two THz heterodyne receivers, with one at 1.4 THz, are being considered as its first generation instrument. Here we report on the development of a 1.4-THz superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer for DATE5, which adopts a twin-slot antenna design. The direct-detection spectral (FTS) response of the 1.4-THz superconducting HEB mixer, with the HEB device fabricated at MSPU, has been measured, giving a frequency coverage of 0.8~1.5THz. And the measured FTS response appears in good agreement with the simulated one. Preliminary noise- temperature measurement at a lower frequency of 0.85 THz shows a receiver noise temperature of 1500 K. The estimated performance at 1.4 THz should be less than 1000 K in terms of the measured FTS response. Detailed simulation and experimental results will be presented.
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
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.
Three observation bands are planned for the Dome A Terahertz Explorer (DATE5), with the superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) served as the mixer for the H200 band ( 200 μm wavelength). In this paper, the performance of a twin-slot antenna coupled superconducting NbN HEB mixer is fully characterized at 1.34 THz. The measured uncorrected receiver noise temperature is 500 K and the intermediate frequency (IF) noise bandwidth is about 3 GHz. Moreover, the receiver stability is characterized by measuring the Allan variance time.
In this paper, the performance of a quasi-optical phonon-cooled NbN superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer is thoroughly investigated. The variation of the receiver noise temperature and the conversion gain around 600 GHz with respect to DC bias voltage and LO pumping level has been measured. The lowest receiver noise temperature is 750 K and reduced to about 250 K after correcting the quasi-optical losses before the HEB mixer. We compared the measured results with the predictions according to one dimensional distributed hot spot model. A reasonable match between theoretical model and experiment is observed. In addition, the direct response of the HEB mixer (integrated with a log-periodic spiral antenna) is measured by using Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS). The stability of the receiver is also investigated by means of Allan variance time measurements performed with an intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth of 40 MHz.
In this paper, we report on the measured and simulated far-field beam-patterns of a quasi-optical NbN superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer at 600GHz. This superconducting HEB mixer consists of an extended hemispherical lens with a diameter of 12.7mm and an extension length of 2.45mm, a twin-slot planar antenna (two slots measuring 148.5μm × 10.4μm with a separation of 78.98μm) and a 5.5-nm thick NbN thin-film micro-bridge with an area of 2μm × 0.2μm . The far-field beam pattern of this mixer is measured by a direct-detection technique with a dynamic range of nearly 25dB, showing an FWHM beam angle of 2.7° and -18dB level of the first side-lobe. The measured beam of the quasi-optical mixer is nearly collimated and has good Gaussian beam efficiency. In addition, the far-field beam-pattern is measured at different DC bias voltages of the superconducting HEB mixer and at different bath temperatures. The measured results are compared with the ones simulated by two different methods. Detailed measurement and simulation results will be presented.