P. Khosropanah

Hot-electron bolometer terahertz mixers for the Herschel Space Observatory.

We report on low noise terahertz mixers (1.4-1.9 THz) developed for the heterodyne spectrometer onboard the Herschel Space Observatory. The mixers employ double slot antenna integrated superconducting hot-electron bolometers (HEBs) made of thin NbN films. The mixer performance was characterized in terms of detection sensitivity across the entire rf band by using a Fourier transform spectrometer (from 0.5 to 2.5 THz, with 30 GHz resolution) and also by measuring the mixer noise temperature at a limited number of discrete frequencies. The lowest mixer noise temperature recorded was 750 K [double sideband (DSB)] at 1.6 THz and 950 K DSB at 1.9 THz local oscillator (LO) frequencies. Averaged across the intermediate frequency band of 2.4-4.8 GHz, the mixer noise temperature was 1100 K DSB at 1.6 THz and 1450 K DSB at 1.9 THz LO frequencies. The HEB heterodyne receiver stability has been analyzed and compared to the HEB stability in the direct detection mode. The optimal local oscillator power was determined and found to be in a 200-500 nW range.

Phase locking of a 2.7 THz quantum cascade laser to a microwave reference

We demonstrate the phase locking of a 2.7 THz metal-metal waveguide quantum cascade laser (QCL) to an external microwave signal. The reference is the 15th harmonic, generated by a semiconductor superlattice nonlinear device, of a signal at 182 GHz, which itself is generated by a multiplier chain (x12) from a microwave synthesizer at approximately 15 GHz. Both laser and reference radiations are coupled into a bolometer mixer, resulting in a beat signal, which is fed into a phase-lock loop. The spectral analysis of the beat signal confirms that the QCL is phase locked. This result opens the possibility to extend heterodyne interferometers into the far-infrared range.

Quantum noise in a terahertz hot electron bolometer mixer

We have measured the noise temperature of a single, sensitive superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer in a frequency range from 1.6 to 5.3 THz, using a setup with all the key components in vacuum. By analyzing the measured receiver noise temperature using a quantum noise (QN) model for HEB mixers, we confirm the effect of QN. The QN is found to be responsible for about half of the receiver noise at the highest frequency in our measurements. The β-factor (the quantum efficiency of the HEB) obtained experimentally agrees reasonably well with the calculated value.

1.6 THz heterodyne receiver for the far infrared space telescope

Abstract A low noise heterodyne receiver is being developed for the terahertz range using a phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometric mixer based on 3.5 nm thick superconducting NbN film. In the 1–2 GHz intermediate frequency band the double-sideband receiver noise temperature was 450 K at 0.6 THz, 700 K at 1.6 THz and 1100 K at 2.5 THz. In the 3–8 GHz IF band the lowest receiver noise temperature was 700 K at 0.6 THz, 1500 K at 1.6 THz and 3000 K at 2.5 THz while it increased by a factor of 3 towards 8 GHz.

Low noise NbN hot electron bolometer mixer at 4.3 THz

We have studied the sensitivity of a superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer mixer integrated with a spiral antenna at 4.3?THz. Using hot/cold blackbody loads and a beam splitter all in vacuum, we measured a double sideband receiver noise temperature of 1300?K at the optimum local oscillator (LO) power of 330?nW, which is about 12 times the quantum noise (h?/2kB). Our result indicates that there is no sign of degradation of the mixing process at the superterahertz frequencies. Moreover, a measurement method is introduced which allows us for an accurate determination of the sensitivity despite LO power fluctuations.

Terahertz superconducting hot-electron bolometer mixers

Hot-electron bolometer frequency down-converters (mixers) based on superconducting films have been found to offer record sensitivity for THz receivers to be used in radio astronomy. In this paper we focus on mixers using NbN phonon-cooled devices. We show that recent theoretical models predict a performance that agrees well with experiments. Important mixer properties such as conversion efficiency, noise (sensitivity), and their variation with the intermediate frequency are discussed in view of our physical understanding using both experiments and theory. We conclude that despite the excellent results obtained so far, further improvements are to be expected when technology has developed further and unnecessary shortcomings in the measurement set-up have been taken care of.

Surface plasmon quantum cascade lasers as terahertz local oscillators

We characterize a heterodyne receiver based on a surface-plasmon waveguide quantum cascade laser (QCL) emitting at 2.84 THz as a local oscillator, and an NbN hot electron bolometer as a mixer. We find that the envelope of the far-field pattern of the QCL is diffraction-limited and superimposed onto interference fringes, which are similar to those found in narrow double-metal waveguide QCLs. Compared to the latter, a more directional beam allows for better coupling of the radiation power to the mixer. We obtain a receiver noise temperature of 1050 K when the mixer is at 2 K, which, to our knowledge, is the highest sensitivity reported at frequencies beyond 2.5 THz.

Noise temperature and beam pattern of an NbN hot electron bolometer mixer at 5.25 THz

We report the measured sensitivities of a superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) heterodyne receiver at 5.25 THz. Terahertz (THz) radiation is quasioptically coupled to a HEB mixer with a lens and a spiral antenna. Using a measurement setup with black body calibration sources and a beam splitter in vacuo, and an antireflection coated Si lens, we obtained a double sideband (DSB) receiver noise temperature (TrecDSB) of 1150 K, which is nine times h?/2k, where h is the Planck constant, ? the frequency, and k the Boltzmann constant. In addition, the measured far field beam patterns of the integrated lens antenna show nearly collimated beams from 2.5 to 5.3 THz that allow reliable measurement of TrecDSB using the vacuum setup. Our experimental results in combination with an antenna-to-bolometer coupling simulation suggest that the HEB mixer can work well at least up to 6 THz, making it suitable for next generation of high-resolution spectroscopic space telescopes and, in particular, for the detection of the neutral atomic oxygen line at 4.7 THz.

A hot-spot mixer model for phonon-cooled NbN hot electron bolometric mixers

Based on a one dimensional heat transport equation for the electrons in a super-conducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) a model for a hot spot mixer is see up. The hot spot parameters are applied in a small signal oscillator model predicting IV curves and conversion gain. Besides its normal resistance and its IF bandwidth a HEB around its optimal operating point is sufficiently characterized by its hot spot length as a function of heating power. All mixer properties can be derived from this parameter set.

Terahertz Superconducting Hot Electron Bolometer Heterodyne Receivers

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.