Quantum noise in a terahertz hot electron bolometer mixer

Zhang, W.; Khosropanah, P.; Gao, J. R.; Kollberg, E.; Yngvesson, K. S.; Bansal, Tarun; Barends, R.; Klapwijk, T. M.

doi:10.1063/1.3364936

Cited by 73 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…2 Such mixers have superior performance over other types of mixers (e.g., SIS, Schottky diodes) 2 at frequencies higher than 1.2 THz. [3][4][5] A large RF bandwidth, a low noise temperature, and low LO power requirements determined the choice of NbN HEB mixers for the Herschel space observatory. 6,7 In contrast to SIS mixers, the useful IF bandwidth of NbN HEB mixers is practically limited to 3-5 GHz, 8 as the noise temperature rises drastically at higher intermediate frequencies.…”

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confidence: 99%

Low noise MgB2 terahertz hot-electron bolometer mixers

Bevilacqua

Cherednichenko

Drakinskiy

et al. 2012

Applied Physics Letters

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We report on low noise terahertz bolometric mixers made of MgB 2 superconducting thin films. For a 10-nm-thick MgB 2 film, the lowest mixer noise temperature was 600 K at 600 GHz. For 30 to 10-nm-thick films, the mixer gain bandwidth is an inverse function of the film thickness, reaching 3.4 GHz for the 10-nm film. As the critical temperature of the film decreases, the gain bandwidth also decreases, indicating the importance of high quality thin films for large gain bandwidth mixers. The results indicate the prospect of achieving a mixer gain bandwidth as large as 10-8 GHz for 3 to 5-nm-thick MgB 2 films. Superconducting NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) 1 mixers are widely used for high resolution terahertz radio astronomy. 2 Such mixers have superior performance over other types of mixers (e.g., SIS, Schottky diodes) 2 at frequencies higher than 1.2 THz. 3-5 A large RF bandwidth, a low noise temperature, and low LO power requirements determined the choice of NbN HEB mixers for the Herschel space observatory. 6,7 In contrast to SIS mixers, the useful IF bandwidth of NbN HEB mixers is practically limited to 3-5 GHz, 8 as the noise temperature rises drastically at higher intermediate frequencies. The reason for this is that the HEB mixer gain rolls off as the IF exceeds the mixer's 3 dB gain bandwidth (GBW). The GBW is determined by two consequent processes in the electron energy relaxation: the electron-phonon interaction and the phonon energy relaxation. The second process mainly occurs via acoustic phonon escape into the substrate. The electron-phonon interaction time is usually a function of the temperature. For HEB mixers, the relevant electron temperature is the critical temperature of the superconducting film, T c , to which the electrons are heated by a combination of the LO power and the dc bias current. In NbN thin films, the electron-phonon interaction time is approximately s e-ph % 12 ps at 10 K. 9,10 The phonon escape time is on the order of s esc % 40 ps for NbN films as thin as 3-4 nm. 8

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confidence: 99%

Low noise MgB2 terahertz hot-electron bolometer mixers

Bevilacqua

Cherednichenko

Drakinskiy

et al. 2012

Applied Physics Letters

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“…As shown in Ref. 32, fundamentally our HEB mixer has the same classical output noise level ͑35 K due to Johnson noise and thermal fluctuation noise͒ at any LO frequency between 1.5-5.3 THz and has a similar mixer conversion loss. The only factors that can affect T rec DSB at 5.25 THz are the radiation coupling efficiency between free space and the HEB and the quantum noise.…”

Section: B Receiver Noise Temperature At 525 Thzmentioning

confidence: 83%

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

Zhang

Khosropanah

Gao

et al. 2010

Journal of Applied Physics

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We report the measured sensitivities of a superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer ͑HEB͒ heterodyne receiver at 5.25 THz. Terahertz ͑THz͒ 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 ͑DSB͒ receiver noise temperature ͑T rec DSB ͒ 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 T rec DSB 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.

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“…astronomical observations over the [1][2][3][4][5] THz range were performed with order of magnitude of improved sensitivities, compared to previous satellite missions. This far-infrared region cannot be explored from ground-based telescopes (with the exception of narrow frequency windows observable from high altitude locations).…”

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“…For high resolution spectroscopy using heterodyne receivers, only recently did the detector sensitivities start approaching their fundamental noise limit up to very high frequencies [5][6] and the next step is now to increase the receiver pixels count in order to gain observing efficiency when observing extended sources. The review papers [7][8] summarize the current status of multi-pixel heterodyne array receivers for the sub-mm, far-infrared region and present general design considerations.…”

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First Supra-THz Heterodyne Array Receivers for Astronomy With the SOFIA Observatory

Risacher

Güsten

Stützki³

et al. 2016

IEEE Trans. THz Sci. Technol.

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Abstract-We present the upGREAT THz heterodyne arrays for far-infrared astronomy. The Low Frequency Array (LFA) is designed to cover the 1.9-2.5 THz range using 2x7-pixel waveguide-based HEB mixer arrays in a dual polarization configuration. The High Frequency Array (HFA) will perform observations of the [OI] line at ~4.745 THz using a 7-pixel waveguide-based HEB mixer array. This paper describes the common design for both arrays, cooled to 4.5 K using closedcycle pulse tube technology. We then show the laboratory and telescope characterization of the first array with its 14 pixels (LFA), which culminated in the successful commissioning in May 2015 aboard the SOFIA airborne observatory observing the [CII] fine structure transition at 1.905 THz. This is the first successful demonstration of astronomical observations with a heterodyne focal plane array above 1 THz and is also the first time highpower closed-cycle coolers for temperatures below 4.5 K are operated on an airborne platform.

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Quantum noise in a terahertz hot electron bolometer mixer

Cited by 73 publications

References 11 publications

Low noise MgB2 terahertz hot-electron bolometer mixers

Low noise MgB2 terahertz hot-electron bolometer mixers

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

First Supra-THz Heterodyne Array Receivers for Astronomy With the SOFIA Observatory

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