Quasioptical superconducting hot electron bolometer for submillmeter waves

We report on a superconducting hot electron bolometer coupled to radiation via a broadband antenna. The bolometer, a structured NbN film, was patterned on a thin dielectric membrane between terminals of a gold slotline antenna. We investigated the response to submillimeter radiation (wave-lengths 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm) in the fundamental Gaussian mode. We found that the directivity of the antenna was constant within a factor of 2.5 through the whole experimental range. The noise equivalent power of the bolometer at 119 µm was 3 · 10^–13 W/Hz^1/2; a time constant of 160 ps was estimated.     

Ambient temperature or moderately cooled semiconductor hot electron bolometer for mm and sub-mm regions

A model of semiconductor hot electron bolometer (SHEB), in which electromagnetic radiation heats only electrons in narrow-gap semiconductor without its lattice slow-response heating, is considered. Free carrier heating changes the generation-recombination processes that are the reason of semiconductor resistance rise. It is estimated, that Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te detector noise equivalent power (NEP) for mm and sub-mm radiation wavelength range can reach NEP ∼10⁻¹¹ W at Δf = 1 Hz signal gain frequency bandwidth. Measurements performed at electromagnetic wave frequencies v = 36, 39, 55, 75 GHz, and at 0.89 and 1.58 THz too, with non-optimized Hg_0.8Cd_0.2Te antenna-coupled bolometer prototype confirmed the basic concept of SHEB. The experimental sensitivity S_v ∼2 V/W at T = 300 K and the calculated both Johnson-Nyquist and generation-recombination noise values gave estimation of SHEB NEP ∼3.5 × 10⁻¹⁰ W at the band-width Δf = 1 Hz and v = 36 GHz.     

Experimental study of a normal-metal hot electron bolometer with capacitive coupling

Normal-metal hot-electron bolometer with capacitive coupling (CCNHEB) is a further development of the concept of a normal-metal hot-electron bolometer with Andreev mirrors (ANHEB). It was proposed to eliminate the frequency and energy restrictions inherent in ANHEB, in which Andreev mirrors act efficiently only with relatively long absorbers and at energies below the superconducting gap. An important advantage of the CCNHEB is its simple topology, in which the same tunnel junctions provide thermal decoupling, noise protection, temperature measurement, and it can be used for electron cooling. The temperature response of the bolometer was measured at temperatures down to 260 mK. The observed response dV/dT=1.7mV/K corresponds to the sensitivity S=0.4×10⁹V/W. The measured noise at the amplifier output with this sample was found to be V _na =4nV/Hz^1/2, which corresponds to a noise-equivalent power of 10^?17W/Hz^1/2. To measure optical response, black-body radiation was used as a source of signal inside the cryostat. The source was a thin NiCr film sputtered on a thin sapphire substrate and suspended by nylon threads. Optical measurements proved to be in good agreement with the dc measurements.     

Terahertz heterodyne receivers based on superconductive hot-electron bolometer mixers

We consider recent results in development of hot-electron bolometer mixers. Special attention is paid to optimization of the contacts between the antenna and the active area of a superconducting film. An important result in the study of the parasitic effect of direct detection is obtained during the measurement of the noise temperatures by the hot/cold load method. The latest results of studies of the waveguide hot-electron bolometer mixers and their successful practical applications are considered. Progress in development of high-frequency (over 1.3 THz) heterodyne receivers for several important international projects is discussed and new submillimeter radio astronomy projects ESPRIT and SAFIR are described.     

Probing of energy gap distribution in superconducting tunnel junctions by low temperature scanning electron microscopy

A two-dimensional voltage image of the energy gap distribution of a superconducting tunnel junction was obtained by scanning the current biased junction with an electron beam and detecting the voltage change δV. The value of the energy gap at the point of irradiation was determined quantitatively from the δV σ(V) curves, where σ(V) is the electric conductance of the junction. Further the quasiparticle diffusion length was found by measuring the length of the transition between a high- and low-gap region generated by a double tunnel junction configuration. The theoretical predictions could be verified by investigating a double tunnel junction configuration, where the energy gap could be changed deliberately by quasiparticle injection.     

Time evolution of electron temperature and hot LO-phonon distribution function in laser excited polar semiconductors

The numerical analysis is presented of the time evolution of the conduction electron temperature and of the hot LO-phonon population in polar semiconductors GaAs, CdTe and ZnS excited by a short laser pulse. The paper is based on the equations describing the evolution of the nonequilibrium electron-phonon system including the electron energy collision broadening and the electron screening of the electron-phonon interaction. The connection between the hot phonon population in the range of small values of the wave vector and the wave vector dependence of the screening function is pointed out.     

Semiconducting superlattice as a solid-state terahertz local oscillator for NbN hot-electron bolometer mixers

We present the results of our studies of the semiconducting superlattice (SSL) frequency multiplier and its application as part of the solid state local oscillator (LO) in the terahertz heterodyne receiver based on a NbN hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer. We show that the SSL output power level increases as the ambient temperature is lowered to 4.2 K, the standard HEB operation temperature.     

Characterization of superconducting YBaCuO-films by low temperature scanning electron microscopy

Low-temperature scanning electron microscopy has been performed for imaging the spatial distribution of the critical current densityj _c(x,y) and of the critical temperatureT _c(x,y) in polycrystalline superconducting YBaCuO films. Strongly inhomogeneous behavior has been observed, and the spatial resolution limit has been found to be 1–2 m. The local temperature increment in the specimen film caused by the electron beam scanning has been demonstrated experimentally as the underlying mechanism of the imaging principle, and the beam-induced thermal perturbation of the high-T _c film/substrate configuration is discussed in detail. The radiation hardness of the sample films against the electron beam irradiation in our imaging experiments has been evaluated. No radiation damage could be detected up to the maximum applied dose of well above 10²⁰ electrons/cm² for a typical beam energy of 26 keV.     

利用轫致辐射谱回推超热电子温度

超短超强激光打靶产生的超热电子与固体靶相互作用时会产生轫致辐射X射线。利用蒙特卡罗方法,对电子在固体靶中传输产生的轫致辐射X射线进行了模拟。1 MeV电子束与固体靶作用产生的轫致辐射谱模拟结果表明,轫致辐射谱高能段斜率受靶厚度及靶材料的影响不明显。麦克斯韦分布的电子束及单能电子束与30 m铜靶作用的模拟结果显示,两种电子源产生的轫致辐射谱在电子束能量或温度较高时基本一致。给出了一种利用轫致辐射谱斜率反推超热电子温度的定标方法。模拟了不同温度下超热电子产生的轫致辐射光子的能量角分布及光子数角分布,结果显示辐射光子能量通量和光子数随着电子温度的提高越来越向前倾,并给出了另外一种由轫致辐射能量角分布反推超热电子温度的定标关系。     

Pump wavelength dependence of hot electron temperature in GaAs

We have measured the variation of the temperature of the photoexcited hot electrons in GaAs as the pump photon energy is varies from 1.54 to 2.83 eV using various dyes in N₂ laser pumped dye laser. We find that the photon flux required to obtain a given temperature (45°K) increases by a factor of 15 as the photon energy decreases from 2.83 to 1.54 eV. The results are in agreement with a simple theory, and allow us to draw interesting conclusions about energy relaxation processes in semiconductors.     

利用轫致辐射谱回推超热电子温度

超短超强激光打靶产生的超热电子与固体靶相互作用时会产生轫致辐射X射线。利用蒙特卡罗方法,对电子在固体靶中传输产生的轫致辐射X射线进行了模拟。1 MeV电子束与固体靶作用产生的轫致辐射谱模拟结果表明,轫致辐射谱高能段斜率受靶厚度及靶材料的影响不明显。麦克斯韦分布的电子束及单能电子束与30 m铜靶作用的模拟结果显示,两种电子源产生的轫致辐射谱在电子束能量或温度较高时基本一致。给出了一种利用轫致辐射谱斜率反推超热电子温度的定标方法。模拟了不同温度下超热电子产生的轫致辐射光子的能量角分布及光子数角分布,结果显示辐射光子能量通量和光子数随着电子温度的提高越来越向前倾,并给出了另外一种由轫致辐射能量角分布反推超热电子温度的定标关系。     

Analysis of bolometer operation near the superconducting transition edge using microwave readout

The results of pioneering experiments on using a new method of microwave recording the bolometric response from a metal film near its superconducting transition edge are analyzed. Experiments are carried out at 4.5 K using a thin-film niobium absorber with a critical temperature of 6.7 K. The validity of the adopted electrodynamic model is confirmed. The chip contains a miniature antenna tuned to approximately 600 GHz and integrated into a planar resonator with a frequency of 6 GHz, which is weakly coupled with a pump line. Based on the experimental and model data, the presence of electrothermal feedback is shown, stability criteria are found, and I–V characteristics at microwaves are obtained. Bulk experimental samples with an absorber measuring 5 μm × 2.5 μm × 15 nm are fabricated with optical photolithography. At an amplifier channel noise of 3 K, the optical sensitivity of a prototype receiver can be expected at a level of 10^?15 W/Hz^1/2.     

The electron distribution in superconducting alloys: I. Analysis of V3Si at room temperature

Accurate X-ray diffraction data are used to obtain the charge distribution in the superconducting alloy V₃Si. The main interaction is found to be strong covalent bonding between adjacent vanadium atoms within the infinite chains. Integration of the charge around the Si and V atoms leads to a best estimate of 1.8–2.4 electrons for the charge transfer from the silicon to the vanadium atoms.     

Spectral baseline ripple in hot-electron bolometer mixers due to local oscillator phase and amplitude instabilities

High resolution millimetre and submillimetre wave astronomical spectrometers using hot-electron bolometer mixers as detectors often show marked standing wave patterns in the spectral baseline. LO phase noise contributes through two mechanisms: the phase noise side-bands may be converted to amplitude noise in the source because of the power-frequency characteristic of the source, or they can be converted to in-band amplitude noise through the action of the quasi-optical discriminator formed by the mixer, beam-splitter and telescope structure. The baseline ripple components due to each of these mechanisms have different characteristic periods, and under some circumstances can dominate the spectrometer baseline. The ripple levels estimated using the theory agree well with those observed in practice. It is shown that with careful design systematic effects due to this cause can be reduced to a negligible level.     

Molecular beam diagnostics by means of fast superconducting bolometer and pulsed infrared laser

The laser-bolometric infrared spectroscopy is an efficient method for measuring the internal energy distributions of molecular beams. Additional informations about the kinetic energy distribution of molecules in a selected internal state can be obtained from time resolved experiments. A fast superconducting bolometer and a pulsed infrared CO₂ laser have been used for testing the use of this technique as a universal tool for molecular beam diagnostics. Experimental results are presented and analyzed for pure SF₆ and helium seeded with 5% SF₆ beams. The efficiency of fast superconducting bolometers, used for molecular beam time-of-flight measurements, is discussed. A comparison is made between time resolved laser-bolometric technique and alternative molecular beam diagnostic methods.     

Hot electron bolometric mixers: new terahertz technology

This paper presents an overview of recent results for NbN phonon-cooled hot electron bolometric (HEB) mixers. The noise temperature of the receivers based on both quasioptical and waveguide versions of HEB mixers has crossed the level of 1 K GHz⁻¹ at 430 GHz (410 K), 600–650 GHz (480 K), 750 GHz (600 K), 810 GHz (780 K) and is close to that level at 1.1 THz (1250 K) and 2.5 THz (4500 K). The gain bandwidth measured for quasioptical HEB mixer at 620 GHz reached 4 GHz and the noise temperature bandwidth was almost 8 GHz. Local oscillator power requirements are about 1 μW for mixers made by photolithography and about 100 nW for mixers made by e-beam lithography. A waveguide version of 800 GHz receiver was installed at the Submillimeter Telescope Observatory on Mt. Graham, AZ, to conduct astronomical observations of known submillimeter lines (CO, J=7→6, CI, J=2→1). It was proved that the receiver works as a practical instrument.