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

Receiver measurements at 1267 GHz using a diffusion-cooled superconducting transition-edge bolometer

Anders J. Skalare, William R. McGrath, B. Bumble, Henry George LeDuc

Published Jun 1, 1997• 25 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We report receiver noise temperature measurements using a quasioptically coupled diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixer at a local oscillator frequency of 1267 GHz, and an intermediate frequency of 1.4 GHz. A best double-sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature of 1880 K was measured, with an estimated mixer noise of 945 K (DSB), and a conversion efficiency including coupling losses of -19 dB (DSB). The coupled local oscillator power requirement for this device is estimated at roughly 6 nW. The mixer noise temperature is less than twice that measured earlier in a waveguide receiver at 530 GHz, which shows that the sensitivity of this type of mixer does not degrade sharply with increasing frequency in this regime.

DOI
10.1109/77.622170

Related papers

NOISE AND RF BANDWIDTH MEASUREMENTS OF A 1.2 THz HEB HETERODYNE RECEIVER

Anders J. Skalare, William R. McGrath, B. Bumble +1 more

Receiver noise and RF coupling bandwidth have been measured for a quasioptically coupled diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixer at a local oscillator frequency of 1267 GHz and an intermediate frequency of 1.4 GHz. A lowest receiver equivalent noise temperature of 1880 K double-sideband was measured, with an upper limit for the mixer noise temperature of 950 K double-sideband. The amount of absorbed local oscillator power in the bolometer device was approximately 6 nW. The effective instantaneous RF bandwidth measured with a Fourier transform spectrometer was 730 GHz.

Softwaretechnik-Trends•Jan 1, 1997•4 citations

Noise and Bandwidth Measurements of Diffusion-Cooled Nb Hot-Electron Bolometer Mixers at Frequencies Above the Superconductive Energy Gap

Rolf A. Wyss, Boris S. Karasik, William R. McGrath +2 more

Diffusion-cooled Nb hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers have the potential to simultaneously achieve high intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidths and low mixer noise temperatures for operation at THz frequencies (above the superconductive gap energy). We have measured the IF signal bandwidth at 630 GHz of Nb devices with lengths L = 0.3, 0.2, and 0.1 micrometer in a quasioptical mixer configuration employing twin-slot antennas. The 3-dB EF bandwidth increased from 1.2 GHz for the 0.3 gm long device to 9.2 GHz for the 0.1 gm long device. These results demonstrate the expected 1/L squared dependence of the IF bandwidth at submillimeter wave frequencies for the first time, as well as the largest EF bandwidth obtained to date. For the 0.1 gm device, which had the largest bandwidth, the double sideband (DSB) noise temperature of the receiver was 320-470 K at 630 GHz with an absorbed LO power of 35 nW, estimated using the isothermal method. A version of this mixer with the antenna length scaled for operation at 2.5 THz has also been tested. A DSB receiver noise temperature of 1800 plus or minus 100 K was achieved, which is about 1,000 K lower than our previously reported results. These results demonstrate that large EF bandwidth and low-noise operation of a diffusion-cooled HEB mixer is possible at THz frequencies with the same device geometry.

Softwaretechnik-Trends•Jan 1, 1999•20 citations

Noise temperature and IF bandwidth of a 530-GHz heterodyne receiver employing a diffusion-cooled superconducting hot-electron mixer

Anders J. Skalare, William R. McGrath, B. Bumble +4 more

We report on the first heterodyne measurements with a diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixer in the submillimeter wave band, using a waveguide mixer cooled to 2.2 K. The best receiver noise temperature at a local oscillator frequency of 533 GHz and an intermediate frequency of 1.4 GHz was 650 K (double sideband). The 3 dB IF roll-off frequency was around 1.7 to 1.9 GHz, with a weak dependence on the device bias conditions.

Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE•Oct 13, 1995•0 citations

Measurements with a Diffusion-Cooled Nb Hot-Electron Bolometer Mixer at 1100 GHz

Anders J. Skalare, William R. McGrath, B. Bumble +1 more

In this paper we report receiver sensitivity measurements with a diffusion-cooled niobium hot-electron bolometer around 1100 GHz. The lowest receiver noise temperature was 1670 K DSB, with approximately 40 nW of local oscillator power being dissipated in the device. The intermediate frequency bandwidth of this device, due to its short length (0.15 gm) and low normal resistance (43 a), exceeded the 1.8 GHz bandwidth of the measurement setup. The receiver was used to detect the sulfur dioxide gas absorption line at 1102 GHz in a heterodyne mode.

•Mar 1, 1998•9 citations

Noise temperature and local oscillator power requirement of NbN phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric mixers at terahertz frequencies

Pavel A. Yagoubov, M. Kroug, H. Merkel +4 more

In this letter, the noise performance of NbN-based phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric quasioptical mixers is investigated in the 0.55–1.1 THz frequency range. The best results of the double-sideband (DSB) noise temperature are: 500 K at 640 GHz, 600 K at 750 GHz, 850 K at 910 GHz, and 1250 K at 1.1 THz. The water vapor in the signal path causes significant contribution to the measured receiver noise temperature around 1.1 THz. The devices are made from 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 typically 0.2×2 μm. The amount of local oscillator power absorbed in the bolometer is less than 100 nW.

Applied Physics Letters•Nov 9, 1998•33 citations

Diffusion-cooled superconducting hot electron bolometer heterodyne mixer between 630 and 820 GHz

Klaus Fiegle, D. Diehl, Karl Jacobs

We report on heterodyne mixing experiments between 630-820 GHz using a diffusion-cooled superconducting hot electron bolometer at intermediate frequencies from 1-2 GHz. The niobium bolometer which is cooled by diffusion of the hot electrons into a normal conductor has dimensions of 0.3 /spl mu/m/spl times/0.15 /spl mu/m and was fabricated at KOSMA with a two-step electron beam lithography process. The film thickness of the device is 30 nm with T/sub c/ of 6.1 K and /spl Delta/T/sub c/ of 0.7 K. The mixing experiments are performed with a tunerless waveguide mixer block previously used for very low-noise SIS receivers. At a physical temperature of 2.2 K, receiver noise temperatures at 666 GHz are 1500 K at 1.0 GHz intermediate frequency, increasing rapidly above 1.5 GHz. The dissipated local oscillator power is evaluated to be 65-90 nW.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jun 1, 1997•13 citations
We report receiver noise temperature measurements using a quasioptically coupled diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixer at a local oscillator frequency of 1267 GHz, and an intermediate frequency of 1.4 GHz. A best double-sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature of 1880 K was measured, with an estimated mixer noise of 945 K (DSB), and a conversion efficiency including coupling losses of -19 dB (DSB). The coupled local oscillator power requirement for this device is estimated at roughly 6 nW. The mixer noise temperature is less than twice that measured earlier in a waveguide receiver at 530 GHz, which shows that the sensitivity of this type of mixer does not degrade sharply with increasing frequency in this regime.
Receiver noise and RF coupling bandwidth have been measured for a quasioptically coupled diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixer at a local oscillator frequency of 1267 GHz and an intermediate frequency of 1.4 GHz. A lowest receiver equivalent noise temperature of 1880 K double-sideband was measured, with an upper limit for the mixer noise temperature of 950 K double-sideband. The amount of absorbed local oscillator power in the bolometer device was approximately 6 nW. The effective instantaneous RF bandwidth measured with a Fourier transform spectrometer was 730 GHz.
Diffusion-cooled Nb hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers have the potential to simultaneously achieve high intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidths and low mixer noise temperatures for operation at THz frequencies (above the superconductive gap energy). We have measured the IF signal bandwidth at 630 GHz of Nb devices with lengths L = 0.3, 0.2, and 0.1 micrometer in a quasioptical mixer configuration employing twin-slot antennas. The 3-dB EF bandwidth increased from 1.2 GHz for the 0.3 gm long device to 9.2 GHz for the 0.1 gm long device. These results demonstrate the expected 1/L squared dependence of the IF bandwidth at submillimeter wave frequencies for the first time, as well as the largest EF bandwidth obtained to date. For the 0.1 gm device, which had the largest bandwidth, the double sideband (DSB) noise temperature of the receiver was 320-470 K at 630 GHz with an absorbed LO power of 35 nW, estimated using the isothermal method. A version of this mixer with the antenna length scaled for operation at 2.5 THz has also been tested. A DSB receiver noise temperature of 1800 plus or minus 100 K was achieved, which is about 1,000 K lower than our previously reported results. These results demonstrate that large EF bandwidth and low-noise operation of a diffusion-cooled HEB mixer is possible at THz frequencies with the same device geometry.
In this paper we report receiver sensitivity measurements with a diffusion-cooled niobium hot-electron bolometer around 1100 GHz. The lowest receiver noise temperature was 1670 K DSB, with approximately 40 nW of local oscillator power being dissipated in the device. The intermediate frequency bandwidth of this device, due to its short length (0.15 gm) and low normal resistance (43 a), exceeded the 1.8 GHz bandwidth of the measurement setup. The receiver was used to detect the sulfur dioxide gas absorption line at 1102 GHz in a heterodyne mode.
In this letter, the noise performance of NbN-based phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric quasioptical mixers is investigated in the 0.55–1.1 THz frequency range. The best results of the double-sideband (DSB) noise temperature are: 500 K at 640 GHz, 600 K at 750 GHz, 850 K at 910 GHz, and 1250 K at 1.1 THz. The water vapor in the signal path causes significant contribution to the measured receiver noise temperature around 1.1 THz. The devices are made from 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 typically 0.2×2 μm. The amount of local oscillator power absorbed in the bolometer is less than 100 nW.
We report on heterodyne mixing experiments between 630-820 GHz using a diffusion-cooled superconducting hot electron bolometer at intermediate frequencies from 1-2 GHz. The niobium bolometer which is cooled by diffusion of the hot electrons into a normal conductor has dimensions of 0.3 /spl mu/m/spl times/0.15 /spl mu/m and was fabricated at KOSMA with a two-step electron beam lithography process. The film thickness of the device is 30 nm with T/sub c/ of 6.1 K and /spl Delta/T/sub c/ of 0.7 K. The mixing experiments are performed with a tunerless waveguide mixer block previously used for very low-noise SIS receivers. At a physical temperature of 2.2 K, receiver noise temperatures at 666 GHz are 1500 K at 1.0 GHz intermediate frequency, increasing rapidly above 1.5 GHz. The dissipated local oscillator power is evaluated to be 65-90 nW.