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IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques

NbN hot electron bolometric mixers-a new technology for low-noise THz receivers

Eyal Gerecht, Charles F. Musante, Yan Zhuang, K. S. Yngvesson, Gregory N Gol'tsman, Boris M. Voronov, E. Gershenzon

Published Jan 1, 1999• 39 citations
Publisher

Abstract

New advances in hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers have recently resulted in record-low receiver noise temperatures at terahertz frequencies. We have developed quasi-optically coupled NbN HEB mixers and measured noise temperatures up to 2.24 THz, as described in this paper. We project the anticipated future performance of such receivers to have even lower noise temperature and local-oscillator power requirement as well as wider gain and noise bandwidths. We introduce a proposal for integrated focal plane arrays of HEB mixers that will further increase the detection speed of terahertz systems.

DOI
10.1109/22.809001

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NbN hot electron bolometric mixers-a new technology for low noise THz receivers

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New advances in Hot Electron Bolometer (HEB) mixers have resulted in record low receiver noise temperatures at THz frequencies recently. We have developed quasi-optically coupled NbN HEB mixers and measured noise temperatures up to 1.56 THz, as described in this paper. We project the anticipated future performance of such receivers to have even lower noise temperature and LO power requirement as well as wider gain and noise bandwidths. We introduce a proposal for integrated focal plane arrays of HEB mixers which will further increase the detection speed of THz systems.

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NbN Hot Electron Bolometric Mixers for a Quasi--Optical THz Receiver

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Experimental work on the development of a quasi-optical heterodyne receiver for the THz frequency range is reported. The mixing device is a superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) made from ultrathin, d = 3 - 5 nm, niobium nitride (NbN) films. Work described in this thesis comprises: The design of a prototype receiver using quasi-optical coupling. Device fabrication involving reactive magnetron sputtering of NbN films and lithographic definition of the antenna integrated mixer. An investigation of the receiver performance at frequencies between 0.6 THz and 2.5 THz. The best performance is obtained with HEB mixers made from NbN films with a thickness d = 3-3.5 nm and a critical temperature T c = 9 - 9.5 K. Double-side band receiver noise temperatures are 530 K at 0.6 THz, 650 K at 1.6 THz and 1100 K at 2.5 THz. Corrected for losses in the receiver input optics, these values amount to only 10 times the theoretical quantum limit. MgO as the substrate material has been shown to provide improved acoustic coupling between NbN film and the substrate compared to other materials such as Si or sapphire. A maximum IF gain bandwidth of 4.5 GHz has been measured under the same operating conditions which yield lowest noise temperature. The local oscilltor power requirement is ~250 nW absorbed in the bolometer. Quasi-optically coupled HEB mixers have become the device-of-choice for radio astronomical applications in the frequency regime at and above 1 THz.

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Performance of NbN phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometric mixer at Terahertz frequencies

Pavel A. Yagoubov, M. Kroug, H. Merkel +6 more

The performance of a NbN based phonon-cooled Hot Electron Bolometric (HEB) quasioptical mixer is investigated in the 0.65-3.12 THz frequency range. The device is made from a 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 0.2/spl times/2 /spl mu/m. The results of the DSB noire temperature are: 1300 K at 650 GHz, 4700 K at 2.5 TBz and 10000 K at 3.12 THz. The RF bandwidth of the receiver is at least 2.5 THz. The amount of LO power absorbed in the bolometer is about 100 nW. The mixer is linear to within 1 dB compression up to the signal level 10 dB below that of the LO. The intrinsic single sideband conversion gain is measured to be -9 dB, the total conversion gain -14 dB.

IEEE International Conference on Terahertz Electronics (THz)•Nov 27, 2002•1 citation
New advances in hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers have recently resulted in record-low receiver noise temperatures at terahertz frequencies. We have developed quasi-optically coupled NbN HEB mixers and measured noise temperatures up to 2.24 THz, as described in this paper. We project the anticipated future performance of such receivers to have even lower noise temperature and local-oscillator power requirement as well as wider gain and noise bandwidths. We introduce a proposal for integrated focal plane arrays of HEB mixers that will further increase the detection speed of terahertz systems.
New advances in Hot Electron Bolometer (HEB) mixers have resulted in record low receiver noise temperatures at THz frequencies recently. We have developed quasi-optically coupled NbN HEB mixers and measured noise temperatures up to 1.56 THz, as described in this paper. We project the anticipated future performance of such receivers to have even lower noise temperature and LO power requirement as well as wider gain and noise bandwidths. We introduce a proposal for integrated focal plane arrays of HEB mixers which will further increase the detection speed of THz systems.
Experimental work on the development of a quasi-optical heterodyne receiver for the THz frequency range is reported. The mixing device is a superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) made from ultrathin, d = 3 - 5 nm, niobium nitride (NbN) films. Work described in this thesis comprises: The design of a prototype receiver using quasi-optical coupling. Device fabrication involving reactive magnetron sputtering of NbN films and lithographic definition of the antenna integrated mixer. An investigation of the receiver performance at frequencies between 0.6 THz and 2.5 THz. The best performance is obtained with HEB mixers made from NbN films with a thickness d = 3-3.5 nm and a critical temperature T c = 9 - 9.5 K. Double-side band receiver noise temperatures are 530 K at 0.6 THz, 650 K at 1.6 THz and 1100 K at 2.5 THz. Corrected for losses in the receiver input optics, these values amount to only 10 times the theoretical quantum limit. MgO as the substrate material has been shown to provide improved acoustic coupling between NbN film and the substrate compared to other materials such as Si or sapphire. A maximum IF gain bandwidth of 4.5 GHz has been measured under the same operating conditions which yield lowest noise temperature. The local oscilltor power requirement is ~250 nW absorbed in the bolometer. Quasi-optically coupled HEB mixers have become the device-of-choice for radio astronomical applications in the frequency regime at and above 1 THz.
The performance of a hot-electron bolometric (HEB) mixer based on NbN from 0.9 to 2.5 THz was investigated using a quasi-optical receiver configuration. An HEB mixer is an ultra-thin superconducting NbN strip located at the feed point of a thick normal conducting Au spiral antenna on a high-resistivity Si substrate. The active area of the mixer was 3 nm thick, 0.4 μm long and 4 μm wide. The quasi-optics consisted of an MgO hyperhemisphere with anti-reflection caps made of Kapton-JP polyimide film and an offset parabola to reduce input losses. The frequency dependence of the double-sideband receiver noise temperature was investigated at several frequencies by using a backward wave oscillator or an optically pumped far-infrared laser as the local oscillator. Results demonstrated low-noise and wide-band characteristics, below 1 K GHz −1 over the measured frequency range. At 917 GHz, the measured receiver noise temperature was 550 K across a 500 MHz intermediate-frequency bandwidth centred at 1.5 GHz, which is slightly better than that of other HEB mixers at around this frequency. This paper was presented at the 8th International Superconductive Electronics Conference, Osaka, Japan, 19–22 June 2001.
We present recent results of the development of phonon cooled hot-electron bolometric (HEB) mixers for airborne and balloon borne terahertz heterodyne receivers. Three iomportant issues have been addresses: the quality of NbN films the HEB mixers were made from, the spectral properties of the HEB mixers and the local oscillator power required for optical operation. Studies with an atomic force microscope indicate, that the performance of the HEB mixer might have been effected by the microstructure of the NbN film. Antenna gain and noise temperature were investigated at terahertz frequencies for a HEB embedded in either log-spiral or twin-slot feed antenna. Comparison suggests that at frequencies above 3 THz the spiral feed provides better overall performance. At 1.6 THz, a power of 2.5 µW was required from the local oscillator for optimal operation of the HEB mixer.
We highlight the progress on NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers achieved through fruitful collaboration between SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research and Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands. This includes the best receiver noise temperatures of 700 K at 1.63 THz using a twin-slot antenna mixer and 1050 K at 2.84 THz using a spiral antenna coupled HEB mixer. The mixers are based on thin NbN films on Si and fabricated with a new contact-process and-structure. By reducing their areas HEB mixers have shown an LO power requirement as low as 30 nW. Those small HEB mixers have demonstrated equivalent sensitivity as those with large areas provided the direct detection effect due to broadband radiation is removed. To manifest that a HEB based heterodyne receiver can in practice be used at arbitrary frequencies above 2 THz, we demonstrate a 2.8 THz receiver using a THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) as local oscillator.
The performance of a NbN based phonon-cooled Hot Electron Bolometric (HEB) quasioptical mixer is investigated in the 0.65-3.12 THz frequency range. The device is made from a 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 0.2/spl times/2 /spl mu/m. The results of the DSB noire temperature are: 1300 K at 650 GHz, 4700 K at 2.5 TBz and 10000 K at 3.12 THz. The RF bandwidth of the receiver is at least 2.5 THz. The amount of LO power absorbed in the bolometer is about 100 nW. The mixer is linear to within 1 dB compression up to the signal level 10 dB below that of the LO. The intrinsic single sideband conversion gain is measured to be -9 dB, the total conversion gain -14 dB.