Title :
Wide-bandwidth electron bolometric mixers: a 2DEG prototype and potential for low-noise THz receivers
Author :
Yang, Jian-Xun ; Agahi, Farid ; Dai, Dong ; Musante, Charles F. ; Grammer, Wes ; Lau, Kei May ; Yngvesson, K. Sigfrid
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Massachusetts Univ., Amherst, MA, USA
fDate :
4/1/1993 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
A new type of electron bolometric (hot electron) mixer is presented. The authors have demonstrated a three-order-of-magnitude improvement in the bandwidth compared with previously known types of electron bolometric mixers, by using the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) medium at the hetero-interface between AlGaAs and GaAs. Both in-house, MOCVD-grown material and MBE material were tested with similar results. The conversion loss (Lc) at 94 GHz is presently 18 dB for a mixer operating at 20 K, and calculations indicate that Lc can be decreased to about 10 dB in future devices. Calculated and measured curves of Lc versus PLo and IDC, respectively, agree well. It is argued that there the several different known configurations of electron bolometric mixers will all show wide bandwidth, and that these devices are likely to become important as low-noise terahertz receivers in the future
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; bolometers; cryogenics; gallium arsenide; hot carriers; losses; mixers (circuits); radio receivers; radiotelescopes; semiconductor device noise; semiconductor devices; solid-state microwave circuits; submillimetre wave devices; two-dimensional electron gas; 10 to 18 dB; 20 K; 2DEG prototype; 94 GHz to 1 THz; EHF; GaAs-AlGaAs; MBE material; MOCVD-grown material; THF; conversion loss; electron bolometric mixers; hetero-interface; hot electron; low-noise THz receivers; radioastronomy; terahertz receivers; two-dimensional electron gas; wide bandwidth; Acoustical engineering; Bandwidth; Electrons; Frequency; Gallium arsenide; Microwave technology; Prototypes; Space technology; Temperature distribution; Temperature sensors;
Journal_Title :
Microwave Theory and Techniques, IEEE Transactions on
