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Softwaretechnik-Trends

Noise and Mixing in Aluminum Based Sub-Micron Hot-Electron Bolometers

Alexander A. Verevkin, Irfan A. Siddiqi, D. E. Prober, Anders J. Skalare, Boris S. Karasik, William R. McGrath, P. M. Echternach, Henry George LeDuc

Published May 1, 2000• 0 citations
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We present microwave (30 GHz) measurements on aluminum superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. Aluminum HEB mixers have a lower superconducting transition temperature than niobium and niobium nitride devices, and are predicted to have improved sensitivity and require less local oscillator power. The devices studied consist of a narrow superconducting aluminum microbridge with contacts comprised of thick aluminum, titanium, and gold. A perpendicular magnetic field is used to suppress superconductivity in the contacts. The device length is much shorter than the electron–phonon inelastic length [L≪(Dτe–ph)1/2] and thus the intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth is set by the diffusion time of hot electrons from the microbridge into the contacts. We discuss limitations on the IF bandwidth in very short HEB mixers with fully normal contacts. Overall, the microwave heterodyne mixing results show good performance with a mixer noise temperature inferred from the conversion efficiency and output noise of TM⩾4 K, double side band (DSB). Measurements at 618 GHz yield a conversion efficiency approximately 10 dB lower than observed at 30 GHz. Output saturation by background radiation is postulated to contribute significantly to this difference. A similar decrease in conversion efficiency in the microwave mixing measurements is observed when broadband noise is added to the rf input signal. We discuss the tradeoff between increased sensitivity and the occurrence of saturation effects in low transition temperature HEBs.

Journal of Applied Physics•Apr 1, 2002•13 citations
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 present microwave (30 GHz) measurements on aluminum superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. Aluminum HEB mixers have a lower superconducting transition temperature than niobium and niobium nitride devices, and are predicted to have improved sensitivity and require less local oscillator power. The devices studied consist of a narrow superconducting aluminum microbridge with contacts comprised of thick aluminum, titanium, and gold. A perpendicular magnetic field is used to suppress superconductivity in the contacts. The device length is much shorter than the electron–phonon inelastic length [L≪(Dτe–ph)1/2] and thus the intermediate frequency (IF) bandwidth is set by the diffusion time of hot electrons from the microbridge into the contacts. We discuss limitations on the IF bandwidth in very short HEB mixers with fully normal contacts. Overall, the microwave heterodyne mixing results show good performance with a mixer noise temperature inferred from the conversion efficiency and output noise of TM⩾4 K, double side band (DSB). Measurements at 618 GHz yield a conversion efficiency approximately 10 dB lower than observed at 30 GHz. Output saturation by background radiation is postulated to contribute significantly to this difference. A similar decrease in conversion efficiency in the microwave mixing measurements is observed when broadband noise is added to the rf input signal. We discuss the tradeoff between increased sensitivity and the occurrence of saturation effects in low transition temperature HEBs.