Fabrication of high-T/sub c/ hot-electron bolometric mixers for terahertz applications

Author

Burns, M.J. ; Kleinsasser, A.W. ; Delin, K.A. ; Vasquez, R.P. ; Karasik, B.S. ; McGrath, W.R. ; Gaidis, M.C.

Author_Institution

Center for Space Microelectron. Technol., California Inst. of Technol., Pasadena, CA, USA

Volume

7

Issue

2

fYear

1997

fDate

6/1/1997 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

3564

Lastpage

3567

Abstract

Superconducting hot-electron bolometers (HEB) represent a promising candidate for heterodyne mixing at frequencies exceeding 1 THz. Nb HEB mixers offer performance competitive with tunnel junctions without the frequency limit imposed by the superconducting energy gap. Although the performance of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// HEB mixers is not projected to be superior to that of Nb devices, which operate at low temperatures, they introduce the possibility of sensitive, low power heterodyne detectors operating at temperatures approaching 90 K for applications requiring portability and closed-cycle refrigeration. We report on the fabrication and characterization, both DC and RF, of high-T/sub c/ mixers based on ultra-thin (/spl les/20 nm) YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// films patterned to micrometer dimensions and incorporated into 2.5 THz planar mixer circuits.

Keywords

barium compounds; bolometers; high-temperature superconductors; hot carriers; submillimetre wave mixers; submillimetre wave receivers; superconducting device testing; superconducting microbridges; superconducting microwave devices; yttrium compounds; 2.5 THz; 20 nm; DC characterization; RF characterization; THz mixing application; YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// HEB mixers; YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/; closed-cycle refrigeration; heterodyne mixing; high-T/sub c/ hot-electron bolometric mixer fabrication; microbridges; micrometer dimensions; planar mixer circuits; portability; sensitive low power heterodyne detectors; superconducting hot-electron bolometers; ultra-thin films; Cooling; Electrons; Fabrication; Frequency; High temperature superconductors; Josephson junctions; Space technology; Substrates; Superconducting device noise; Thermal conductivity;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Applied Superconductivity, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1051-8223

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/77.622168

Filename

622168