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Applied Physics Letters

Superconducting noise bolometer for terahertz radiation

A. D. Semenov, Heiko Richter, Heinz‐Wilhelm Hübers, K. Ilin, M. Siegel

Published Oct 18, 2005• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present a superconducting noise bolometer that is a bolometric detector sensing radiation via radiation-induced changes of its own microwave noise. The detector represents a nanostrip made from a thin NbN superconducting film. It operates in the superconducting state and carries a supercurrent slightly less than the critical current. Radiation couples with the detector via an immersion lens and a planar antenna, which jointly define the useful spectral range from 1to5THz. At an ambient temperature of 4.2K, the optically measured noise-equivalent power amounts at ≈10−13WHz−1∕2 along with a time constant of approximately 150ps.

DOI
10.1063/1.2115086

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•Jan 1, 2004•0 citations
We present a superconducting noise bolometer that is a bolometric detector sensing radiation via radiation-induced changes of its own microwave noise. The detector represents a nanostrip made from a thin NbN superconducting film. It operates in the superconducting state and carries a supercurrent slightly less than the critical current. Radiation couples with the detector via an immersion lens and a planar antenna, which jointly define the useful spectral range from 1to5THz. At an ambient temperature of 4.2K, the optically measured noise-equivalent power amounts at ≈10−13WHz−1∕2 along with a time constant of approximately 150ps.
An advantage of superconducting detectors is a much lower noise in comparison to their semiconductor counterparts. We have studied the magnitude and spectrum of electric noise in thin superconducting NbN nanostrips carrying a subcritical current. Analysis of the experimental data suggests that the noise appears due to fluctuations in the two-dimensional vortex gas below the Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition. Implementing this approach to the noise mechanism, we proposed a novel detector. The novelty is the use of the noise, which generally hampers the performance of conventional detectors, as the physical quantity that itself senses radiation. Our detector patterned from a thin NbN superconducting film and integrated in a planar log-periodic antenna. The detector operates at 4.2 K in the current-carrying superconducting state. Optically measured noise-equivalent power amounted at 10-14 W Hz-1 and is likely to improve at lower temperatures.
An advantage of superconducting detectors is a much lower noise in comparison to their semiconductor counterparts. We have studied the magnitude and spectrum of electric noise in thin superconducting NbN nanostrips carrying a subcritical current. Analysis of the experimental data suggests that the noise appears due to fluctuations in the two-dimensional vortex gas below the Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition. Implementing this approach to the noise mechanism, we proposed a novel detector. The novelty is the use of the noise, which generally hampers the performance of conventional detectors, as the physical quantity that itself senses radiation. Our detector patterned from a thin NbN superconducting film and integrated in a planar log-periodic antenna. The detector operates at 4.2 K in the current-carrying superconducting state. Optically measured noise-equivalent power amounted at 10^-13 W / Hz^1/2 and is likely to improve at lower temperatures.
We present a superconducting noise bolometer for terahertz radiation, which is suitable for large-format arrays. It is based on an antenna-coupled superconducting micro-bridge embedded in a high-quality factor superconducting resonator for a microwave bias and readout with frequency-division multiplexing in the GHz range. The micro-bridge is kept below its critical temperature and biased with a microwave current of slightly lower amplitude than the critical current of the micro-bridge. The response of the detector is the rate of superconducting fluctuations, which depends exponentially on the concentration of quasiparticles in the micro-bridge. Excess quasiparticles are generated by an incident THz signal. Since the quasiparticle lifetime increases exponentially at lower operation temperature, the noise equivalent power rapidly decreases. This approach allows for large arrays of noise bolometers operating above 1 K with sensitivity, limited by 300-K background noise. Moreover, the response of the bolometer always dominates the noise of the readout due to relatively large amplitude of the bias current. We performed a feasibility study on a proof-of-concept device with a 1.0 × 0.5 μm2 micro-bridge from a 9-nm thin Nb film on a sapphire substrate. Having a critical temperature of 5.8 K, it operates at 4.2 K and is biased at the frequency 5.6 GHz. For the quasioptical input at 0.65 THz, we measured the noise equivalent power ≈3 × 10−12 W/Hz1/2, which is close to expectations for this particular device in the noise-response regime.
Terahertz (THz) direct detectors based on superconducting niobium nitride hot electron bolometers with thermal, microwave and THz biasing methods have been studied at a frequency of 0.65 THz and at an operating temperature of 4.2 K. A low noise amplifier at room temperature is used to read out the current change of the detectors modulated by the chopping frequency at 732 Hz. The noise spectral density, current responsivity and noise equivalent power (NEP) have been measured and compared respectively. The detectors with the microwave and THz biasing methods have about one order higher current responsivity than that of the thermal one. With the microwave biasing, an optical NEP at the order of pW/√Hz which shows no deterioration is obtained by choosing the microwave frequency and power appropriately.
In this paper, we report the investigation of direct detection behavior of a superconducting niobium nitride (NbN) hot electron bolometer (HEB) based on noise thermometry. The HEB consists of a microbridge made from 5.5 nm thick NbN film and a twin slot antenna for radiation coupling. In the microbridge, hot electron system is generated after radiation pumping and it creates extra noise at RF frequencies. We measured the response of the noise at 0.5-1.8 GHz and the noise equivalent power (NEP) of the superconducting NbN HEB at different bias voltages. The measurement result shows that the superconducting NbN HEB has a noise equivalent power of 1.24×10-12W/Hz1/2at its optimal bias point. We also compared the noise equivalent power measured by noise thermometry at two different readout bandwidths. The measured results are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical one.
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.