Characterization of a quasi-optical NbN superconducting HEB mixer

Author

Jiang, Ling ; Miao, Wei ; Zhang, Wen ; Li, Ning ; Lin, Zhen Hui ; Yao, Qi Jun ; Shi, Sheng-Cai ; Svechnikov, Sergey I. ; Vakhtomin, Yury B. ; Antipov, Sergey V. ; Voronov, Boris M. ; Kaurova, Natalia S. ; Gol´tsman, Gregory N.

Author_Institution

Purple Mountain Obs., Nat. Astron. Obs., China

Volume

54

Issue

7

fYear

2006

fDate

7/1/2006 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

2944

Lastpage

2948

Abstract

In this paper, the performance of a quasi-optical NbN superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer, cryogenically cooled by a close-cycled 4-K refrigerator, is thoroughly investigated at 300, 500, and 850 GHz. The lowest receiver noise temperatures measured at the respective three frequencies are 1400, 900, and 1350 K, which can go down to 659, 413, and 529 K, respectively, after correcting the loss and associated noise contribution of the quasi-optical system before the measured superconducting HEB mixer. The stability of the quasi-optical superconducting HEB mixer is also investigated here. The Allan variance time measured with a local oscillator pumping at 500 GHz and an IF bandwidth of 110 MHz is 1.5 s at the dc-bias voltage exhibiting the lowest noise temperature and increases to 2.5 s at a dc bias twice that voltage.

Keywords

bolometers; refrigerators; submillimetre wave mixers; submillimetre wave receivers; superconducting mixers; 110 MHz; 1350 K; 1400 K; 300 GHz; 4 K; 500 GHz; 850 GHz; 900 K; Allan variance time; close-cycled refrigerator; hot-electron bolometer; local oscillator; quasioptical NbN superconducting HEB mixer; receiver noise temperatures; Bolometers; Frequency measurement; Loss measurement; Noise measurement; Refrigeration; Stability; Superconducting device noise; Temperature measurement; Time measurement; Voltage-controlled oscillators; 4-K close-cycled cryocooler; Allan variance; conversion loss; noise temperature; superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9480

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TMTT.2006.877450

Filename

1650432