Lens integrated twin slot antennas have been widely used in superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) detectors due to its high directivity and low cross-polarization. In this paper, we present the design and simulation of a 210 GHz dual-polarized twin slot antenna for TES detectors. We used Ansoft HFSS to simulate the return loss and isolation of the dual-polarized twin slot antenna. The results show that the return loss of the dual-polarized twin slot antenna is less than -15 dB and the isolation is great than 10 dB in the frequency range from 170 GHz to 230 GHz. We also used FEKO to simulate the beam pattern of the dual-polarized twin slot antenna integrated with a silicon lens with a diameter of 5 mm. After optimizing the extended length of the silicon lens, a near Gaussian beam with a half power beam width (HPBW) of 19.4 degrees and a side lobe level of 17.3 dB was obtained. In addition, we designed and simulated an air bridge that is used to transmit the signals received by the twin slot antennas in the orthogonal directions. We find that the transmission coefficient of the air bridge is close to 0 dB and the isolation in the orthogonal directions exceeds 35 dB.
Superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) are highly sensitive detectors and can detect electromagnetic wave radiations from millimeter/submillimeter, optical to 𝑥/γrays, suitable for cosmology, astrophysics, quantum information, and biosensing. In principle, thousands of TESs even more are required to enhance the detection efficiency for large-scale survey. Among other multiplexing schemes, microwave SQUID multiplexer (μMUX), consisting of resonators and RF SQUIDs, has a bandwidth of several GHz, thus multiplexing factor on the order of thousands, more suitable for readout of large TES arrays. We designed and fabricated superconducting coplanar waveguide (CPW) resonators with a high qualityfactor and second-order gradient RF SQUID with two inductive coupling structures respectively. Then, we optimized the critical current density of the Josephson junction and measured the mutual inductance parameters of the second-order gradient structure SQUID, which are consistent with the simulation results. Finally, we fabricated a cryogenic μMUX chip based on RF SQUID and resonator. We discussed the results of the development of μMUX in more detail.
In this paper, we present a wideband antireflection coating designed for high-resistivity silicon and alumina lenses used in cryogenic terahertz detectors. A dual-layer coating structure based on diamond and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) films is employed to achieve high transmittance in a wide frequency range, the film thickness of diamond and PTFE has been precisely controlled by mature microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) and thermal spraying technology. The transmittances of coated silicon sample was measured within the frequency ranges of 0.3-0.5 THz using the Quasi Optical Vector Network Analyzers (QO-VNA). The measured transmittance of the one side coated silicon sample accords well with the simulation results, which demonstrates the accuracy of the coating process. A remarkable transmittance level of up to 99% can be achieved by applying the AR coating to silicon lens according to the simulations. This wideband antireflection coating can be applied to cryogenic terahertz detectors, such as superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) detectors and superconducting kinetic inductance (KIDs) detectors.
Optical transition-edge sensor (TES) with high quantum efficiency, low dark count rate, and high energy resolution has been used in quantum information and communications. The gap distance between the fiber tip and TES has an influence on the TES performance. Here we measured the interference pattern of our optical TES devices with and without anti-reflection coating and obtain the gap distance. We also obtain the absolute reflectivity of the Ti-TESs by correcting the effect of power splitter and circulator. Our copper block shrinks ~10 μm when cooled from room temperature down to 100 mK. The measured reflectivity is consistent with the simulation taking the dielectric mirror, Ti film and anti-reflection coating into account. In addition, we study the gap distance dependence of the system efficiency, and find that it is in good agreement with the measured reflectivity at 100 mK. These analyses are useful for further improvement of TES packaging.
Transition edge sensors (TES) are highly sensitive detectors and have been widely used at different wavelengths from millimeter to X-ray astronomy. Especially at optical/near infrared wavelengths TES exhibits photon-number resolving capability because of its high energy resolution, which also makes it attractive in quantum information. In order to verify the possibility of space applications, we study the effect of ion irradiation on the performance of titanium-based optical TESs including normal-state resistance (RN), critical temperature (TC), thermal conductance (G), effective response time, detection efficiency, and energy resolution by measuring the DC and optical characteristics. The optical TESs survive in the ion irradiation and their parameters keep almost the same as before ion irradiation, which makes it possible for future space applications.
Fourier phase gratings play a vital role in the multi-beam heterodyne receiver in sub-millimeter astronomical instruments. In this study, a 1×4 beam grating at 660 GHz is developed, by which the surface structure is generated with an iterative algorithm. Far-field beam pattern is simulated with FEKO, where a relative high efficiency of 91% as well as a uniformity of power distribution among 4 beams of less than 1% are obtained. The grating was manufactured in aluminum material by a micro-milling machine. A PC-controlled scanning stage is employed for the beam pattern measurement. Despite the discrepancy from the manufacture of less than 6 μm, measurement results exhibit a good agreement with simulation in both power efficiency and far-field spatial distribution.
Graphene has an extremely weak coupling of electrons to phonons due to its nonionic character of lattice. This remarkable property makes graphene very attractive for hot electron bolometers (HEBs). In this paper, we present the development of a graphene-based terahertz hot electron bolometer (HEB) with Johnson noise readout. The HEB is essentially a graphene microbridge that is connected to a log spiral antenna by Au contact pads. We study the responsivity, noise equivalent power (NEP) and time constant of the graphene-based HEB in a perpendicular magnetic field. In order to understand the thermal transport inside the graphene microbridge, we also measure the graphene-based HEB at different bath temperatures between 3 K and 10 K. Detailed experimental results and analysis will be presented.
Terahertz band, which is roughly defined as 0.1 THz to 10 THz, is an interesting frequency region of the electromagnetic spectrum to be fully explored in astronomy. THz observations play key roles in astrophysics and cosmology. High sensitive heterodyne and direct detectors are the main tools for the detection of molecular spectral lines and fine atomic structure spectral lines, which are very important tracers for probing the physical and chemical properties and dynamic processes of objects such as star and planetary systems. China is planning to build an THz telescope at Dome A, Antarctica, a unique site for ground-based THz observations. We are developing THz superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers and transition edge sensors (TES), which are quantum limited and back-ground limited detectors, respectively. Here we first introduce the working principles of superconducting HEB and TES, and then mainly present the results achieved at Purple mountain Observatory.
We report on the application of a new technique for actively stabilizing the power of a far infrared gas laser as the local
oscillator (LO) in a superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) heterodyne receiver system at 2.5 THz. The
technique utilizes PID feedback control of the local oscillator intensity by means of a voice-coil based swing arm
actuator placed in the beam path. The HEB itself is used as a direct detector to measure incident LO power whilst
simultaneously continuing to function as heterodyne mixer. Results presented here demonstrate a factor of 50
improvement in the measured total power and spectroscopic Allan variance time. Allan times of 30 seconds and 25
seconds respectively are shown for large and small area HEB's with a measured effective noise fluctuation bandwidth of
12 MHz. The technique is versatile and can be applied to any LO source and at any LO frequency.
We report on a twin-slot antenna coupled superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer designed for 1.6
THz. Terahertz (THz) radiation is quasi-optically coupled to the HEB with an uncoated elliptical Si lens. Measured DSB
receiver noise temperatures are 1500 K at 0.85 THz, 1200 K at 1.27 THz, 1100 K at 1.31 THz, 1100 K at 1.4 THz, and
1000 K at 1.63 THz. This value at 1.63 THz is reduced to 750 K when the hot/cold loads in vacuum are used. The
frequency dependence of the noise temperature is consistent with the measured FTS spectral response. The measured farfield
beam patterns of the lens/antenna combination show nearly collimated beams with the side lobes below -16dB by
adding a 40 μm extension to a standard Si elliptical lens design, which is understood by considering a slightly lower
dielectric constant of Si (εSi) of 11.4 instead of 11.7. The good performance of such NbN HEB mixers makes it suitable
for future high-resolution spectroscopic astronomical applications.
In this paper, the direct detection behaviors of a superconducting hot electron bolometer integrated with a log spiral
antenna are investigated by using Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS). We find the response of the bolometer to a
modulated signal can be detected by a lock-in amplifier not only from the DC bias current, but also from the output noise
power at the IF port of the HEB. We attribute the response in output noise power to Johnson noise and thermal
fluctuation noise. Both the current response and the output noise power response measured at different bias voltages can
be explained by one dimensional distributed hot spot model. In addition, the frequency response of the hot electron
bolometer measured from the response in DC bias current is in good agreement with that in IF output noise power.
High-resolution heterodyne spectrometers operating at above 2 THz are crucial for detecting, e.g., the HD line at 2.7
THz and oxygen OI line at 4.7 THz in astronomy. The potential receiver technology is a combination of a hot electron
bolometer (HEB) mixer and a THz quantum cascade laser (QCL) local oscillator (LO).Here we report the first highresolution
heterodyne spectroscopy measurement of a gas cell using such a HEB-QCL receiver. The receiver employs a
2.9 THz free-running QCL as local oscillator and a NbN HEB as a mixer. By using methanol (CH3OH) gas as a signal
source, we successfully recorded the methanol emission line at 2.92195 THz. Spectral lines at IF frequency at different
pressures were measured using a FFTS and well fitted with a Lorentzian profile. Our gas cell measurement is a crucial
demonstration of the QCL as LO for practical heterodyne instruments. Together with our other experimental
demonstrations, such as using a QCL at 70 K to operate a HEB mixer and the phase locking of a QCL such a receiver is
in principle ready for a next step, which is to build a real instrument for any balloon-, air-, and space-borne observatory.
We report the sensitivity of a superconducting NbN hot electron bolometer mixer integrated with a tight spiral antenna at
5.3 THz. Using a measurement setup with black body calibration sources and a beam splitter in vacuo, and an
antireflection coated Si lens, we obtained a double sideband receiver noise temperature of 1150 K, which is 4.5 times
hν/kB (quantum limit). Our experimental results in combination with an antenna-to-bolometer coupling simulation
suggest that HEB mixer can work well at least up to 6 THz, suitable for next generation of high-resolution spectroscopic
of the neutral atomic oxygen (OI) line at 4.7 THz.
It is known that the increase of bath temperature results in the decrease of critical current of superconducting hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixers owing to the depression of superconductivity, thus leading to the degradation of the mixer's sensitivity. Here we report our study on the effect of bath temperature on the heterodyne mixing performance of quasi-optical superconducting NbN HEB mixers incorporated with a two-arm log-spiral antenna. The correlation between the bath temperature, critical current, LO power requirement and noise temperature is investigated at 0.5 THz. Furthermore, the heterodyne mixing performance of quasi-optical superconducting NbN HEB mixers is examined while there is an optical-axis displacement between the center of the extended hemispherical silicon lens and the superconducting NbN HEB device, which is placed on the back of the lens. Detailed experimental results and analysis are presented.
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