Design of SMMW Laser Resonators with On-Axis Signal and Pump Beam Guiding in a Mirror Ring

A ring resonator design for optically pumped submillimeter wave (SMMW) lasers using the same set of four mirrors (including one focussing mirror) for pump beam and SMMW beam guiding is introduced.The optimum design is discussed on the example of a 2.523 THz methanol laser. It turns out that the focal length of the focussing mirror has to be adapted to the resonator perimeter. Eleven well suited focal length - resonator perimeter ratios, defining eleven standard resonator configurations, can be distinguished.The setup of an experimental laser with the optimized resonator and the experimental setup to measure laser performance are described, and results concerning laser output power, beam quality and efficiency are discussed.This paper is the extended version of the paper presented on the 23rd International Conference in Colchester [1] and continues a former article presented in this journal [2].     

Automatic measurement for dielectric properties of solid material at 890 GHz

An automatic measurement system has been used to measure the complex dielectric constant of solid materials at 890GHz. This instrument can be used as a two-beam interferometer for determining the refractive index or as a transmitter for measuring the absorption coefficient of dielectric materials at FIR and SMMW frequency. The results for seven low-loss solid materials and the accuracy of the measurement are presented.Project supported by the Fund of the National Sciences of P.R.China.     

过模结构0.14 THz高功率脉冲探测器研制

基于n型硅在强电场下的热电子效应,初步研制了一种采用过模结构的0.14 THz高功率太赫兹脉冲探测器。该探测器由基模波导WR6、过渡波导、过模波导WR10, n型硅探测芯片和偏置恒流源组成。模拟分析了探测器的工作过程,给出了相对灵敏度表达式,结果表明过模探测器能很好地工作在TE10模式。合理设计了探测芯片的结构参数和加工工艺,完成了探测芯片的加工和探测器样机的制作。将探测器样机在0.14 THz相对论表面波振荡器的辐射场进行了初步的验证性实验,并与二极管检波器的测量结果进行了对比分析。结果表明:过模探测器样机的响应时间在ps量级,相对灵敏度约为0.12 kW-1,最大承受功率至少为数十W,可用于0.14 THz高功率脉冲的直接探测。     

Operating Parameters Optimization of Miniature Optically Pumped Cavity NH3 Submillimeter Wave Laser

By means of the iteration method, the output power density of the miniature optically pumped NH₃ submillimeter wave (SMMW) laser was calculated based on the density matrix equations of a quantum system. Optimization of operating parameters including operating gas pressure, reflection coefficients of input and output meshes of the laser were studied systematically. In the paper, the concepts of the average activated length and the synthetical optimum value were defined, and some rules of the optimization were explained successfully. Experimentally, a cavity NH₃ SMMW laser that was composed of a pair of inductive metallic meshes and pumped by TEA-CO₂ 10R(8) line was used. The experimental results were in good agreement with our theoretical calculations.     

CW Operation of a Submillimeter Wave Gyrotron (Gyrotron Fu IV) for High Stability of the Output Frequency

The first cw operation of our submillimeter wave gyrotron (Gyrotron FU IV) using a 12 T superconducting magnet has been successfully carried out. Output power is more than 20 W at a frequency of 301 GHz in the TE₀₃₁ resonant cavity mode. Time-resolved frequency measurement s shows that the frequency fluctuation of the gyrotron output is smaller than 2 MHz. This frequency fluctuation is mainly due to the fluctuation in the output voltage of the power supply.     

Characteristics of millimeter wave detection in a Fabry-Perot resonator using a YBCO-BiO composite superconductor

A quasioptical technique with a hemispherical-type Fabry-Perot resonator for measuring characteristics of millimeter wave detection using a YBCO-BiO composite superconductor has been successfully developed. This Fabry-Perot resonator consists of a spherical mirror and a plane mirror mounted on the cold head of the refrigerator, under a controlled temperature of 40 to 300 K. The method offers the advantages of estimating irradiation power, easily controlling the sample temperature, analyzing the mode of the irradiated millimeter waves and easily extending to higher frequencies. The superconducting millimeter wave detector has been measured with this technique, with measured sensitivities of 46.5 V/W (70 K) to 160 V/W (35 K) at 50 GHz. These results are close to the theoretical values calculated numerically from the characteristics of the detector. It was confirmed that the millimeter wave detection system using the Fabry-Perot resonator is suitable for estimating the sensitivity of the high-Tc superconducting millimeter wave detector.     

Comparison Between Single-Longitudinal-Mode and Two-Longitudinal-Mode Pumping Cavity OPSMMWL

A CO₂ infrared laser system with a etalon to be the longitudinal mode select equipment was set up to be the optically pump source, as well as a mini NH3 with 20cm long sample tube to be the sub-millimeter wave laser. CO2-9R(16) line was chose to pump the mini-NH3 SMMW laser, and 90.4um SMMW line was obtained by single-longtudinal-mode or two-longitudinal-mode pumping. Experimental comparison of output power and operating gas pressure between single and two-longitudinal-mode OPSMMWL were studied. It was found that the two-longitudinal-mode OPSMMWL could get higher output power and broader spectrum, existed a lower operating gas pressure and wider range of operating gas pressure. These experimental results verified the theoretical calculations before.     

High Frequency and High Mode Purity Operations of Gyrotron FU IVA

The cavity of the newest gyrotron, Gyrotron FU IVA in the high frequency series of Fukui University gyrotrons (the Gyrotron FU series) is designed to minimize the mode conversion from the main cavity mode to the higher modes. In this paper, the experimental results are compared with simulations for the complete gyrotron oscillator. The gyrotron has an additional advantage to cover the wide frequency range in submillimeter wave region.     

Study on the Spectrum of Miniature Optically Pumped NH3 Submillimeter-Wave Laser

By means of an iteration method and taking into account the broadening of the infrared pumping laser, the spectrum of a miniature, optically pumped, superradiant NH₃ submillimeter-wave(SMMW) gas laser pumped by CO₂-10R(8) has been calculated and studied by solving density matrix equations. Experimentally, the interferogram of miniature SMMW laser pumped by a TEA-CO₂ laser with 10R(8) line is measured. This is the first time that the theoretical spectrum has been in good agreement with experimental results.     

Experimental study of high energy electron interactions in a superconducting aluminum alloy resonant bar

Peak amplitude measurements of the fundamental mode of oscillation of a suspended aluminum alloy bar hit by an electron beam show that the amplitude is enhanced by a factor ∼3.5 when the material is in the superconducting state. This result is consistent with the cosmic ray observations performed by the resonant gravitational wave detector NAUTILUS, made of the same alloy, when operated in the superconducting state. A comparison of the experimental data with the predictions of the model describing the underlying physical process is also presented.     

High Precision Characterisation of Semiconductor Bolometers

We describe techniques for testing and characterising semiconductor bolometers, using the bolometer model presented in Sudiwala et. al. [1]. The procedures are illustrated with results from a prototype bolometer for the high frequency instrument (HFI) in the Planck Surveyor cosmic microwave background mission. This is a bolometer using spider-web geometry and a neutron transmutation doped (NTD) germanium thermistor, designed for operation at 100 mK. Details are given of the laboratory facility used to take data at temperatures from 70 mK to 350 mK. This employs an adiabatic demagnetisation refrigerator to cool the detector and optics. The spatial and spectral properties of the optical system are controlled using feedhorns and edge filters. To characterise the bolometer, blanked and optically loaded load curves were measured over a range of temperatures, and the response to modulated radiation was measured as a function of modulation frequency, temperature and bias current. Results for the prototype bolometer show that its behaviour is well represented by an ideal thermal detector down to a temperature of approximately 100 mK. Below this, non-thermal effects such as electron-phonon decoupling or electric field dependent resistance appear to lead to departure from ideal behaviour. The performance was in good agreement with the design goals for the bolometer.     

亚毫米波大功率脉冲探测器的初步研制

初步研制了一种用于300~400GHz频段的亚毫米波大功率脉冲探测器。基于强电场下的热电子效应,将n型硅探测芯片置入波导WR10的宽边,构成了探测器的过模探测模块。采用光刻和电镀工艺完成了探测芯片的加工,实现了很好的欧姆接触和尺寸精度。对集成的探测器样机进行了亚毫米波大功率脉冲测试和电压驻波比测量。结果表明:探测器样机的响应时间快达ps量级,相对灵敏度约为0.46kW-1,电压驻波比小于2.4,最大承受功率不小于数十W,与模拟结果符合得较好,满足亚毫米波大功率脉冲的直接探测需求。     

简单磁镜上ECR放电硬X射线测量

本文用Nal(T1)晶体闪烁探测器在简单磁镜上测量了硬X射线波形随有关放电参数的变化和能谱,给出了实验数据处理方法、热电子的温度和能量,最后对结果进行了分析讨论。     

基于激光水下爆炸声源的声探测技术

基于激光水下爆炸的声探测技术,设计了激光声水下目标探测器。对激光水下爆炸声源的产生机理进行研究,并开展水下探测器发射声信号检测的实验。实验结果表明:强脉冲激光聚焦于水介质产生爆炸性球面声源,探测器内部的声反射面将球面声信号转变为高指向性的平面波信号。通过对探测器的发射信号和接收的目标回波信号进行数值计算,得到探测器发射信号具有波束指向性窄、距离分辨力高和探测距离远等特点,满足水下目标探测的应用需求。     

Design of a 2.5 THz submillimeter wave laser with optical pump beam guiding

A ring resonator design using the same set of mirrors for pump beam and submillimeter wave (SMMW) beam guiding is introduced. Optimal design is discussed on the example of a 2.5 THz methanol laser. It turns out that due to refocussing of the pump beam on the pinhole certain focal lengths of the focussing mirror, which mainly is responsible for the beam guiding, should be avoided. Diffraction losses and pinhole losses determine optimalg-parameters for which the pump beam guiding losses of the resonator are minimum, and optimal pump beam waist radii.The setup of an experimental laser with the optimized resonator and the experimental setup to measure laser performance are described, and results concerning laser output power, beam quality and efficiency are discussed.     

Measurements of the responsivity of FET‐based detectors of sub‐THz radiation

This article describes a novel approach to measure responsivity of a FET-based sub-THz detector using on-wafer probes to directly feed a bare antenna-less detecting device. Thus, the approach eliminates the need to know beforehand the detector’s effective aperture, which can be a source of large variation between responsivity measurements of various FET-based detectors often cited in the literature. It seems that the presented method can be useful at making direct comparisons between responsivity of various devices (e.g., MOSFETs, HEMTs etc.). As a demonstration, the sub-THz responsivity of a pHEMT device fabricated using a commercial GaAs process has been measured in a WR-3 frequency band. Additionally, the results have been compared against data obtained using an alternative approach. The verification method consisted in integrating exactly the same device with a broad-band antenna and a carefully selected high-resistivity silicon lens and comparing its performance with that of a commercial calibrated detector based on Schottky diodes.     

Application of the Gyrotron FU II Submillimeter Wave Radiation Source to Plasma Scattering Measurements

Gyrotron FU II has been successfully applied as a submillimeter wave radiation source to plasma scattering measurements on the Compact Helical System (CHS) in National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) in Japan. The gyrotron operates in a long pulse mode (the pulse width is about 600 ms) at a frequency of about 350 GHz (the corresponding wavelength is 0.85 mm). The output power is about 110 W. The output power is transmitted along a circular waveguide system and converted to a Gaussian-like beam by a quasi-optical antenna. After that, the beam is directed onto the CHS plasma and the scattered signal is detected by a homodyne detection system. The frequency and the wave number of the scattered signal are analyzed. The results suggest that a broad band low frequency (several tens to several hundreds kHz) density fluctuation is excited in the CHS plasma only during neutral beam injection (NBI) or ion cyclotron resonance (ICR) heating.     

超导单光子探测器件直流特性研究

超导单光子探测技术是基于超薄超导薄膜的非平衡态热电子效应的一种新型的单光子探测方法。超导单光子探测器(SNSPD)的计数率可达到GHz,时间抖动小于100ps,因而在未来量子通信系统中有着广阔的应用前景。介绍了NbN超导单光子探测器件的工作原理和器件超导性能测试系统;测试了超导单光子探测器件的电阻-温度、电流-电压等特性。并对测试结果进行了分析和讨论。     

9—46keV电子引起的Ni的K壳层电离截面

用Ｓｉ（Ｌｉ）探测器测量薄Ｎｉ靶在９—４６ＫｃＶ的电子轰击下产生的Ｋ壳层特征Ｘ射线，以确定其Ｋ壳层电子的电离截面。测量结果与前人的实验和理论计算以及经验公式的计算结果作了比较。     

快中子堆脉冲工况下γ能谱的实验测定

根据不同能量的光子经过不同材料和厚度的减弱体时其减弱程度不同, 利用 不同的减弱体材料和热释光探测元件设计了用于快中子堆γ谱测量的叠层式探测器. 基于GRAVEL方法,编写了连续谱的解谱程序, 并对该程序进行了实验验证, 最终测定了快中子堆堆外场点的γ能谱.