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DC and IF Bandwidth Measurements of Superconducting Diffusion-Cooled Hot Electron Bolometer Mixers based on Nb/Au Bilayer

X. Lefoul, Pavel A. Yagoubov, Merlijn Hajenius, W. J. Vreeling, W. F. M. Ganzevles, J. R. Gao, Piet A. J. de Korte, T. M. Klapwijk

Published Mar 1, 2002• 1 citation
OpenAlex

Abstract

Hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers based on a superconductor-normal metal bilayer [1] are expected to improve the overall performance, in comparison with existing Nb or NbN mixers: lower mixer noise, larger intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth, and in particular, lower LO power requirement. The bilayer takes advantage of the idea that one

Related papers

Development of Nb/Au Bilayer HEB Mixer for Space Applications

Pavel A. Yagoubov, X. Lefoul, W. F. M. Ganzevles +3 more

In this paper we propose to use a metal-superconductor bilayer as an RF detecting element for a diffusion-cooled hot electron bolometer mixer. The motivation is to engineer a superconducting material with a low transition temperature, Tc, (below Tc of commonly used Nb) and higher diffusion constant. With this it is expected to improve the overall HEB mixer performance, i.e. obtain lower noise and wider intermediate frequency bandwidth as well as reduce a local oscillator power requirement. We report our initial experimental results. A couple of Nb/Au bilayer films with different thickness combinations have been fabricated on either glass or Si substrates. The measured sheet resistance and transition temperature of the bilayers are close to those desired for the fabrication of HEB mixers.

•Dec 1, 2001•1 citation

Nb–Au bilayer hot-electron bolometers for low-noise THz heterodyne detection

Irfan A. Siddiqi, D. E. Prober

The sensitivity of present Nb diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers is not quantum limited, and can be improved by reducing the superconducting transition temperature TC. Lowering TC reduces thermal fluctuations, resulting in a decrease of the mixer noise temperature TM. However, lower TC mixers have reduced dynamic range and saturate more easily due to background noise. We present 30 GHz microwave measurements on a bilayer HEB system, Nb–Au, in which TC can be tuned with Au layer thickness to obtain the maximum sensitivity for a given noise background. These measurements are intended as a guide for the optimization of THz mixers. Using a Nb–Au mixer with TC=1.6 K, we obtain TM=50 K with 2 nW of local oscillator (LO) power. Good mixer performance is observed over a wide range of LO power and bias voltage and such a device should not exhibit saturation in a THz receiver.

Applied Physics Letters•Feb 12, 2004•8 citations

Aluminum Sub-Micron Superconducting Hot-Electron Bolometer Mixer

Irfan A. Siddiqi, A. Verevkin, D. E. Prober +5 more

We report on microwave measurements of superconducting aluminum hot-electron bolometers (Al HEBs). Diffusion-cooled Al HEB mixers are ideal candidates for space-borne and terrestrial remote-sensing applications in the Terahertz frequency range since they are predicted to have small local oscillator (LO) power requirements, intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidths ! 10 GHz, and a noise temperature lower than that of Nb and NbN HEBs. Mixer measurements were made at an LO frequency ~30 GHz LO, with an IF in the range 0.1-7.3 GHz. For T < 0.8 K, a magnetic field H=0.1-0.3T was applied to suppress the superconductivity in the contact pads, and partly in the bridge. For a 0.6 μm long Al HEB, we measure an IF bandwidth of 4 GHz, a conversion efficiency η = -8dB, and a mixer noise temperature Tm ! 4K, DSB (Tmixer=Toutput noise/2η). These results are shown to be in quantitative agreement with simple theoretical predictions.

Softwaretechnik-Trends•May 1, 2000•3 citations

Noise and conversion efficiency of aluminum superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixer

Irfan A. Siddiqi, A. Verevkin, D. E. Prober +5 more

We report on microwave measurements of superconducting aluminum hot-electron bolometers (Al HEBs). Diffusion-cooled Al HEB mixers are good candidates for space-borne applications in the Terahertz frequency range since they are predicted to have small local oscillator (LO) power requirements, intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidths /spl gsim/10 GHz, and a noise temperature lower than that of Nb and NbN HEB mixers. Mixer measurements were made at an LO frequency /spl sim/30 GHz, with an IF in the range 0.1 to 7.3 GHz. For T<0.8 K, a magnetic field H=0.1-0.3 T was applied to suppress the superconductivity in the contact pads, and partly in the bridge. For a 0.6 /spl mu/m long device, we measure an IF bandwidth of 4 GHz, a conversion efficiency /spl eta/=-8 dB, and a mixer noise temperature T/sub M//spl gsim/4 K, DSB (T/sub mixer/=T/sub output noise//2/spl eta/). These results are shown to be in quantitative agreement with simple theoretical predictions.

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Mar 1, 2001•17 citations

Study of the superconductor-normal metal interface in hot-electron bolometer mixers

Ю.Д. Третьяков, Matvey I. Finkel, P. Larionov +5 more

During the last few years significant progress has been made in the field of hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. It has been possible to combine a low noise temperature and high stability of phonon-cooled HEBs with an ultrawide gain bandwidth of the diffusion-cooled HEBs in a single device and thus create HEB mixers which offer a noise temperature of 5hν/kB across a 7-GHz band. The essential ingredient of this success is the in situ fabrication technology, where the deposition of the gold contacts follows the deposition of the superconducting film without vacuum breaking. Despite the evident technological breakthrough, the details of certain physical processes occurring both at the superconductor-normal metal (SN) interface and in the superconducting bridge are not completely understood in terms of their influence on the mixer performance. In particular, it is still unclear to what extent the properties of the SN interface are affected by the deposition temperatures of the superconductor and the normal metal, and also by the time interval elapsed between the deposition processes. We will gain some insight into the matter by studying the behaviour of the superconducting transition as a function of the deposition temperatures and time delay. A better understanding of this issue will allow us to move forward the HEB mixer technology towards new applications.

•Jan 1, 2012•0 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
Hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers based on a superconductor-normal metal bilayer [1] are expected to improve the overall performance, in comparison with existing Nb or NbN mixers: lower mixer noise, larger intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth, and in particular, lower LO power requirement. The bilayer takes advantage of the idea that one
In this paper we propose to use a metal-superconductor bilayer as an RF detecting element for a diffusion-cooled hot electron bolometer mixer. The motivation is to engineer a superconducting material with a low transition temperature, Tc, (below Tc of commonly used Nb) and higher diffusion constant. With this it is expected to improve the overall HEB mixer performance, i.e. obtain lower noise and wider intermediate frequency bandwidth as well as reduce a local oscillator power requirement. We report our initial experimental results. A couple of Nb/Au bilayer films with different thickness combinations have been fabricated on either glass or Si substrates. The measured sheet resistance and transition temperature of the bilayers are close to those desired for the fabrication of HEB mixers.
The sensitivity of present Nb diffusion-cooled hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers is not quantum limited, and can be improved by reducing the superconducting transition temperature TC. Lowering TC reduces thermal fluctuations, resulting in a decrease of the mixer noise temperature TM. However, lower TC mixers have reduced dynamic range and saturate more easily due to background noise. We present 30 GHz microwave measurements on a bilayer HEB system, Nb–Au, in which TC can be tuned with Au layer thickness to obtain the maximum sensitivity for a given noise background. These measurements are intended as a guide for the optimization of THz mixers. Using a Nb–Au mixer with TC=1.6 K, we obtain TM=50 K with 2 nW of local oscillator (LO) power. Good mixer performance is observed over a wide range of LO power and bias voltage and such a device should not exhibit saturation in a THz receiver.
We report on microwave measurements of superconducting aluminum hot-electron bolometers (Al HEBs). Diffusion-cooled Al HEB mixers are ideal candidates for space-borne and terrestrial remote-sensing applications in the Terahertz frequency range since they are predicted to have small local oscillator (LO) power requirements, intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidths ! 10 GHz, and a noise temperature lower than that of Nb and NbN HEBs. Mixer measurements were made at an LO frequency ~30 GHz LO, with an IF in the range 0.1-7.3 GHz. For T < 0.8 K, a magnetic field H=0.1-0.3T was applied to suppress the superconductivity in the contact pads, and partly in the bridge. For a 0.6 μm long Al HEB, we measure an IF bandwidth of 4 GHz, a conversion efficiency η = -8dB, and a mixer noise temperature Tm ! 4K, DSB (Tmixer=Toutput noise/2η). These results are shown to be in quantitative agreement with simple theoretical predictions.
We report on microwave measurements of superconducting aluminum hot-electron bolometers (Al HEBs). Diffusion-cooled Al HEB mixers are good candidates for space-borne applications in the Terahertz frequency range since they are predicted to have small local oscillator (LO) power requirements, intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidths /spl gsim/10 GHz, and a noise temperature lower than that of Nb and NbN HEB mixers. Mixer measurements were made at an LO frequency /spl sim/30 GHz, with an IF in the range 0.1 to 7.3 GHz. For T<0.8 K, a magnetic field H=0.1-0.3 T was applied to suppress the superconductivity in the contact pads, and partly in the bridge. For a 0.6 /spl mu/m long device, we measure an IF bandwidth of 4 GHz, a conversion efficiency /spl eta/=-8 dB, and a mixer noise temperature T/sub M//spl gsim/4 K, DSB (T/sub mixer/=T/sub output noise//2/spl eta/). These results are shown to be in quantitative agreement with simple theoretical predictions.
During the last few years significant progress has been made in the field of hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. It has been possible to combine a low noise temperature and high stability of phonon-cooled HEBs with an ultrawide gain bandwidth of the diffusion-cooled HEBs in a single device and thus create HEB mixers which offer a noise temperature of 5hν/kB across a 7-GHz band. The essential ingredient of this success is the in situ fabrication technology, where the deposition of the gold contacts follows the deposition of the superconducting film without vacuum breaking. Despite the evident technological breakthrough, the details of certain physical processes occurring both at the superconductor-normal metal (SN) interface and in the superconducting bridge are not completely understood in terms of their influence on the mixer performance. In particular, it is still unclear to what extent the properties of the SN interface are affected by the deposition temperatures of the superconductor and the normal metal, and also by the time interval elapsed between the deposition processes. We will gain some insight into the matter by studying the behaviour of the superconducting transition as a function of the deposition temperatures and time delay. A better understanding of this issue will allow us to move forward the HEB mixer technology towards new applications.
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.