Gain and noise bandwidth of NbN hot-electron bolometric mixers

Journal Article · Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.119143· OSTI ID:529988

Ekstroem, H; Kollberg, E ^[1]; Yagoubov, P; Goltsman, G; Gershenzon, E ^[2]; Yngvesson, S ^[3]

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1. Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden)
2. Moscow State Pedagogical University, Moscow 119882 (Russia)
3. University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003 (United States)

We have measured the noise performance and gain bandwidth of 35 {Angstrom} thin NbN hot-electron mixers integrated with spiral antennas on silicon substrate lenses at 620 GHz. The best double-sideband receiver noise temperature is less than 1300 K with a 3 dB bandwidth of {approx}5 GHz. The gain bandwidth is 3.2 GHz. The mixer output noise dominated by thermal fluctuations is 50 K, and the intrinsic conversion gain is about {minus}12 dB. Without mismatch losses and excluding the loss from the beamsplitter, we expect to achieve a receiver noise temperature of less than 700 K. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}

• OSTI ID: 529988
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 24 Vol. 70; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
BOLOMETERS
FLUCTUATIONS
GAIN
GHZ RANGE
MIXERS
NIOBIUM COMPOUNDS
NIOBIUM NITRIDES
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES