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Physics of the Solid State

Development of the physical principles of the design and implementation of a 500–700 GHz spectrometer with a superconducting integrated receiver

В. Л. Вакс, Vladimir Yu. Balakirev, А. Н. Панин, Sergey I. Pripolzin, V. P. Koshelets, Oleg S. Kiselev

Published Nov 1, 2010• 2 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A spectrometer based on the effect of freely decaying polarization in the frequency range 500–700 GHz has been designed. Radiation sources are harmonics from a quantum semiconductor superlattice frequency multiplier. The receiving system of this spectrometer is constructed using a superconducting integrated receiver based on a superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer and a flux-flow oscillator operating as a heterodyne oscillator. The spectrometer has been used to measure absorption lines of NH 3 in a sample of expired air (572 GHz).

DOI
10.1134/s1063783410110041

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•Jan 1, 2007•0 citations
A spectrometer based on the effect of freely decaying polarization in the frequency range 500–700 GHz has been designed. Radiation sources are harmonics from a quantum semiconductor superlattice frequency multiplier. The receiving system of this spectrometer is constructed using a superconducting integrated receiver based on a superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer and a flux-flow oscillator operating as a heterodyne oscillator. The spectrometer has been used to measure absorption lines of NH 3 in a sample of expired air (572 GHz).
A sensitive heterodyne spectrometer employing a superconducting local oscillator is demonstrated experimentally for the first time at 327 GHz. The research is continuation of the study on the concept of a superconducting integrated receiver (SIR). The sensor of the phase-locked receiver comprises a quasioptical double-dipole antenna SIS mixer (T:z 250 K, DSB), a Josephson-type flux-flow oscillator (FF0) and a twin-SIS harmonic mixer, all integrated on the same silicon chip of size 4 mm by 4 mm. An elliptical silicon lens is the only optical element focusing the beam. Room temperature PLL electronics is used along with a synthesized reference source at about 10 GHz. The effective bandwidth of the PLL circuit of about ± 10 MHz and the hold range of ± 2.5 GHz are estimated experimentally while locking at 32-th harmonic of the reference source. It was found that the optimum pump current of the SIS mixer can be adjusted within the range of 14...42 pA simply via change of the bias current of the FFO while it stays locked. The signal from a room temperature semiconductor harmonic multiplier driven by a second synthesizer is used to test the spectrometer; the spectral resolution as low as 10 kHz is estimated. The effect of broadening of a spectral line of SO2 gas at 326867 MHz is measured for a laboratory gas cell at 300 K within the pressure range of 0.03-0.3 mbar demonstrating feasibility of the PLL SIR.
A submillimeter heterodyne spectrometer employing a superconducting local oscillator is demonstrated for the first time. The sensor chip comprises a quasioptical double-dipole lens-antenna SIS mixer (T/sub RX/=250 K at 380 GHz), a Josephson flux-flow oscillator and a SIS harmonic mixer. Room temperature PLL electronics is used with a reference source at 10 GHz. The PLL bandwidth of 10 MHz and the hold range of 3 GHz are estimated for locking at 32-th harmonic of the reference source. The spectral resolution better than 1 MHz and broadening effect of a spectral line of SO/sub 2/ gas at 326867 MHz are measured with a laboratory gas cell at 300 K at pressure 0.03 - 0.3 mbar using acousto-optical spectrometer.
In this report we present design and first experimental results for development of the submm superconducting integrated receiver spectrometer for Terahertz Limb Sounder (TELIS). TELIS is a collaborative European project to build up a three-channel heterodyne balloon-based spectrometer for measuring a variety of atmospheric constituents of the stratosphere. The 550 - 650 GHz channel of TELIS is based on a phase-locked Superconducting Integrated Receiver (SIR). SIR is an on-chip combination of a low-noise Superconductor-Insulator-Superconductor (SIS) mixer with quasioptical antenna, a superconducting Flux Flow Oscillator (FFO) acting as Local Oscillator (LO), and SIS harmonic mixer (HM) for FFO phase locking. A number of new solutions were implemented in the new generation of SIR chips. To achieve the wide-band performance of the spectrometer, a side-feed twin-SIS mixer and balanced SIS mixer with 0.8 µm 2 junctions integrated with a double-dipole (or double-slot) antenna is used. An improved design of the FFO for TELIS has been developed and optimized providing a free-running linewidth between 10 and 2 MHz in the frequency range 500 - 700 GHz. It is important to ensure that tuning of a phase-locked (PL) SIR can be performed remotely by telecommand. For this purpose a number of approaches for the PL SIR automatic computer control have been developed. All receiver components (including input optical elements and Martin-Puplett polarization rotating interferometer for single side band operation) will be mounted on a single 4.2 K plate inside a 40 × 180 × 80 mm 3 box. First measurements give an uncorrected double side band (DSB) noise temperature below 250 K measured with the phase-locked FFO; more detailed results are presented at the conference.
In this paper we present design and first experimental results of the 550 650 GHz channel for the Terahertz Limb Sounder (TELIS), a three-channel balloon-borne heterodyne spectrometer for atmospheric research. This frequency channel is based on a phase-locked Superconducting Integrated Receiver (SIR). SIR is an on-chip combination of a low-noise SIS mixer with quasioptical antenna, a superconducting Flux Flow Oscillator (FFO) acting as Local Oscillator (LO) and SIS harmonic mixer (HM) for FFO phase locking. The microcircuit is designed as a quasioptical mixer. Amplification of the mixer IF signal and first stage PLL circuitry is done by InP based low noise HEMT amplifiers. Optical design analysis and first experimental results, which include FTS and noise temperature measurements, are reported. Index Terms — Josephson mixers, integrated receiver, superconducting devices
An integrated quasioptical receiver consisting of a planar double dipole antenna, superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixer and a superconducting local oscillator (LO) with matching circuits has been designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 360–490 GHz. A flux-flow oscillator (FFO) based on unidirectional and viscous flow of magnetic vortexes in a long Josephson tunnel junction, is employed as a local oscillator. All components of the receiver are integrated on a 4 mm×4 mm×0.2 mm crystalline quartz substrate using a single Nb–AlOx–Nb trilayer. The lowest DSB noise temperature of 470–560 K has been achieved within a frequency range of 425–455 GHz.
We report on the results of developing a single-chip superconducting integrated receiver which is the key element of the 500 -650 GHz spectrometer for the Terahertz Limb Sounder (TELIS) balloon project. TELIS is a collaborative European project to develop a three-channel heterodyne balloon-based spectrometer for measuring a variety of atmospheric constituents of the stratosphere. The Superconducting Integrated Receiver (SIR) comprises in one chip a planar antenna integrated with an SIS mixer, a superconducting Flux Flow Oscillator (FFO) acting as Local Oscillator (LO) and a second SIS harmonic mixer (HM) for the FFO phase locking. As a result of the FFO design optimization a free-running linewidth between 9 and 1.5 MHz has been measured in the frequency range 500 – 710 GHz resulting in phase-locking of 35 to 95 % of the FFO power correspondingly. A new generation of the SIR devices with improved FFO performance and optimized interface between FFO and SIS/HM has been developed and comprehensively tested; all required TELIS parameters were demonstrated. Phase–locked FFO operation over entire SIR channel frequency range has been realized, spectral resolution below 1 MHz has been confirmed by gas cell and CW signal measurements. An uncorrected double side band (DSB) noise temperature about 200 K has been measured with the phase-locked FFO. The intermediate frequency bandwidth 4-8 GHz has been realized. To ensure remote operation of the phase-locked SIR several procedures for its automatic computer control have been developed and tested. To overcome temperature constraints and extend operation frequency of the all-Nb SIR we have developed and studied Nb-AlN-NbN-Nb circuits with a gap voltage Vg up to 3.7 mV and extremely low leakage currents (Rj/Rn > 30). Based on these junctions integrated microcircuits comprising FFO and harmonic mixer have been designed, fabricated and tested; the radiation from such circuits has been measured at frequencies up to 700 GHz. Employment of NbN electrode does not result in the appearance of additional noise. For example, FFO linewidth as low as 1 MHz was measured at 600 GHz, that allows us to phase lock up to 92 % of the emitted by FFO power and realize very low phase noise about –90 dBc. Preliminary results demonstrated uncorrected DSB noise temperature of the Nb-AlN-NbN SIR below 250 K at frequencies of primary TELIS interest around 500 and 600 GHz. We expect that Nb-AlN-NbN-Nb device will be used for the first qualification TELIS flight that is scheduled on April 2007.