Terahertz Heterodyne Receivers

The state-of-the art of terahertz heterodyne receivers are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on front-end components such as mixers and local oscillators. The back-end technology is described to a lesser extent. Recent developments, which are expected to have a major impact in the future, are also discussed.

[1]  A. van der Ziel,et al.  Infrared detection and mixing in heavily doped Schottky‐barrier diodes , 1976 .

[2]  Daniel E. Prober,et al.  Superconducting terahertz mixer using a transition-edge microbolometer , 1993 .

[3]  Thomas W. Crowe,et al.  GaAs Schottky barrier mixer diodes for the frequency range 1–10 THz , 1989 .

[4]  Marc J. Feldman,et al.  Quantum detection at millimeter wavelengths , 1985 .

[5]  Teun M. Klapwijk,et al.  Doubling of sensitivity and bandwidth in phonon-cooled hot-electron bolometer mixers , 2004, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[6]  J. Zmuidzinas,et al.  Low Noise 1 THz–1.4 THz Mixers Using Nb/Al-AlN/NbTiN SIS Junctions , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity.

[8]  Jonas Zmuidzinas,et al.  Very High Current Density Nb/AlN/Nb Tunnel Junctions for Low-Noise Submillimeter Mixers , 2000 .

[9]  J. Hesler,et al.  Integrated GaAs Schottky mixers by spin-on-dielectric wafer bonding , 2000 .

[10]  R. Barends,et al.  Local resistivity and the current-voltage characteristics of hot electron bolometer mixers , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity.

[11]  E. H. Rhoderick,et al.  Metal–Semiconductor Contacts , 1979 .

[12]  P. Richards.  Bolometers for infrared and millimeter waves , 1994 .

[13]  T. M. Klapwijk,et al.  Full characterization and analysis of a terahertz heterodyne receiver based on a NbN hot electron bolometer , 2006 .

[14]  H. Ito,et al.  High-speed and high-output InP-InGaAs unitraveling-carrier photodiodes , 2004, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[15]  I. Mehdi,et al.  An all-solid-state broad-band frequency multiplier chain at 1500 GHz , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[16]  P. Yagoubov,et al.  A hot-spot mixer model for phonon-cooled NbN hot electron bolometric mixers , 1999, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity.

[17]  David A. Ritchie,et al.  Terahertz quantum cascade laser as local oscillator in a heterodyne receiver. , 2005, Optics express.

[18]  C. E. Honingh,et al.  1.4-THz receiver for APEX and for GREAT on SOFIA , 2004, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[19]  G. V. Schultz,et al.  Antenna characteristics of whisker diodes used as submillimeter receivers , 1977 .

[20]  Yoshinori Uzawa,et al.  TERAHERTZ NBN/ALN/NBN MIXERS WITH AL/SIO/NBN MICROSTRIP TUNING CIRCUITS , 1998 .

[21]  Anthony R. Kerr,et al.  Some fundamental and practical limits on broadband matching to capacitive devices, and the implications for SIS mixer design , 1995 .

[22]  Andrey M. Baryshev,et al.  A novel terahertz heterodyne receiver based on a quantum cascade laser and a superconducting bolometer , 2005 .

[23]  J. Tuovinen,et al.  The Odin satellite - I. Radiometer design and test , 2003 .

[24]  J. Baubert,et al.  2.5 THz multipixel heterodyne receiver based on NbN HEB mixers , 2006, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[25]  J. Zmuidzinas,et al.  A 150 Micron Heterodyne Spectrometer for Airborne Astronomy , 1984 .

[26]  H. Lüth,et al.  Traveling-wave photomixer with recessed interdigitated contacts on low-temperature-grown GaAs , 2006 .

[27]  Direct and heterodyne detection of microwaves in a metallic single wall carbon nanotube , 2006, cond-mat/0604520.

[28]  Peter H. Siegel,et al.  The Earth observing system microwave limb sounder (EOS MLS) on the aura Satellite , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[29]  M. Siegel,et al.  Terahertz Performance of Integrated Lens Antennas With a Hot-Electron Bolometer , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[30]  I. Mehdi,et al.  A 1.7-1.9 THz local oscillator source , 2004, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[31]  Roman Sobolewski,et al.  TOPICAL REVIEW: Hot-electron effect in superconductors and its applications for radiation sensors , 2002 .

[32]  E. Linfield,et al.  Highly resistive annealed low-temperature-grown InGaAs with sub-500 fs carrier lifetimes , 2004 .

[33]  K. S. Champlin,et al.  Cutoff Frequency of Submillimeter Schottky-Barrier Diodes , 1978 .

[34]  Qing Hu,et al.  Phase locking and spectral linewidth of a two-mode terahertz quantum cascade laser , 2006 .

[35]  Jonas Zmuidzinas,et al.  Superconducting detectors and mixers for millimeter and submillimeter astrophysics , 2004, Proceedings of the IEEE.

[36]  K. S. Yngvesson,et al.  Ultrafast two-dimensional electron gas detector and mixer for terahertz radiation , 2000 .

[37]  T. Klapwijk,et al.  Influence of the direct response on the heterodyne sensitivity of hot electron bolometer mixers , 2006 .

[38]  M. Harwit,et al.  The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite: Science Objectives and Instrument Description , 1998, Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation.

[39]  O. M. Pylypenko,et al.  Superconducting integrated receiver for TELIS , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity.

[40]  Optimization of a schottky barrier mixer diode in the submillimeter wave region , 1994 .

[41]  Christian Y. Drouet d'Aubigny,et al.  Integrated heterodyne array receivers for submillimeter astronomy , 2003, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[42]  Michio Naito,et al.  Terahertz mixing in MgB2 microbolometers , 2007 .

[43]  Boris Voronov,et al.  Local Oscillator Power Requirement and Saturation Effects in NbN HEB Mixers , 2001 .

[44]  A. Semenov,et al.  Bandwidth of a hot-electron bolometer mixer according to the hotspot model , 2001 .

[45]  Rudolf T. Schieder,et al.  The laser sideband spectrometer , 2004, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[46]  Peter H. Siegel,et al.  TERAHERTZ HETERODYNE IMAGING PART I: INTRODUCTION AND TECHNIQUES , 2007 .

[47]  Andrew I. Harris.  Heterodyne spectrometers with very wide bandwidths , 2003, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[48]  Paul Hartogh,et al.  GREAT: the German first light heterodyne instrument for SOFIA , 2006, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[49]  Giles Davies,et al.  Far-infrared (λ≃87 μm) bound-to-continuum quantum-cascade lasers operating up to 90 K , 2003 .

[50]  David A. Ritchie,et al.  Tunable terahertz quantum cascade lasers with an external cavity , 2007 .

[51]  R. Blundell,et al.  A photomixer local oscillator for a 630-GHz heterodyne receiver , 1999, IEEE Microwave and Guided Wave Letters.

[52]  E. Purcell,et al.  Observation of a Line in the Galactic Radio Spectrum: Radiation from Galactic Hydrogen at 1,420 Mc./sec. , 1951, Nature.

[53]  H. Lüth,et al.  Terahertz photonic mixers as local oscillators for hot electron bolometer and superconductor-insulator-superconductor astronomical receivers , 2006 .

[54]  Manfred Birk,et al.  Parylene anti-reflection coating of a quasi-optical hot-electron-bolometric mixer at terahertz frequencies , 2001 .

[55]  H. Röser,et al.  Heterodyne spectroscopy for submillimeter and far-infrared wavelengths from 100 μm to 500 μm , 1991 .

[56]  Qing Hu,et al.  3.4-THz quantum cascade laser based on longitudinal-optical-phonon scattering for depopulation , 2003 .

[57]  T. M. Klapwijk,et al.  Monocrystalline NbN nanofilms on a 3C-SiC/Si substrate , 2007 .

[58]  Jonas Zmuidzinas,et al.  Characterization of low-noise quasi-optical SIS mixers for the submillimeter band , 1996 .

[59]  Steve Moyer,et al.  Concealed weapon identification using terahertz imaging sensors , 2006, SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[60]  Peter H. Siegel,et al.  Terahertz Heterodyne Imaging Part II: Instruments , 2007 .

[61]  C. Kasemann,et al.  The APEX digital Fast Fourier Transform Spectrometer , 2006 .

[62]  M. Siegel,et al.  Evidence of non-bolometric mixing in the bandwidth of a hot-electron bolometer , 2006 .

[63]  C. Kramer,et al.  Optimization of heterodyne observations using Allan variance measurements , 2001, astro-ph/0105071.

[64]  Peter H. Siegel,et al.  2.5 THz GaAs Monolithic Membrane-Diode Mixer A New Planar Circut Realization for High Frequency Semiconductor Components , 1998 .

[65]  Paul Hartogh,et al.  Remote sensing of a comet at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths from an orbiting spacecraft , 2007 .

[66]  F. Schmülling,et al.  A 4×1 GHz Array Acousto-Optical Spectrometer , 1999 .

[67]  J. C. Irvin,et al.  Millimeter frequency conversion using Au-n-type GaAs Schottky barrier epitaxial diodes with a novel contacting technique , 1965 .

[68]  Godehard Wüstefeld,et al.  Time domain analysis of coherent terahertz synchrotron radiation , 2005 .

[69]  AUTOCORRELATION SPECTROMETERS FOR SPACE BORNE (SUB)MILLIMETRE SPECTROSCOPY , 1998 .

[70]  W.C.B. Peatman,et al.  Quarter‐micrometer GaAs Schottky barrier diode with high video responsivity at 118 μm , 1992 .

[71]  Nigel G. Douglas.  Millimetre and Submillimetre Wavelength Lasers , 1989 .

[72]  R. Barends,et al.  Current-induced vortex unbinding in bolometer mixers , 2005 .

[73]  Anders Skalare,et al.  Length scaling of bandwidth and noise in hot‐electron superconducting mixers , 1996 .

[74]  Michael Olbrich,et al.  Toward very large bandwidth with acousto-optical spectrometers , 2003, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[75]  D. W. Allan,et al.  Statistics of atomic frequency standards , 1966 .

[76]  Dazhen Gu,et al.  Development of integrated HEB/MMIC receivers for near-range terahertz imaging , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[77]  David A. Ritchie,et al.  High-performance operation of single-mode terahertz quantum cascade lasers with metallic gratings , 2005 .

[78]  P. Siegel,et al.  Submillimeter-wave active radar imager , 2007, 2007 Joint 32nd International Conference on Infrared and Millimeter Waves and the 15th International Conference on Terahertz Electronics.

[79]  Manfred Birk,et al.  2.5 THz heterodyne receiver with NbN hot-electron-bolometer mixer , 2002 .

[80]  Susanne Crewell,et al.  ASUR-an airborne SIS receiver for atmospheric measurements of trace gases at 625 to 760 GHz , 1995 .

[81]  Michael Tinkham,et al.  Self‐heating hotspots in superconducting thin‐film microbridges , 1974 .

[82]  H. P. Röser,et al.  Video detection and mixing performance of GaAs Schottky‐barrier diodes at 30 THz and comparison with metal‐insulator‐metal diodes , 1994 .

[83]  A. Dayem,et al.  Quantum Interaction of Microwave Radiation with Tunneling Between Superconductors , 1962 .

[84]  Herbert M. Pickett,et al.  Microwave Limb Sounder THz module on Aura , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[85]  Peter H. Siegel,et al.  A 2.5-THz receiver front end for spaceborne applications , 2000 .

[86]  J. Zmuidzinas,et al.  Heterodyne spectroscopy of the 158 micron C II line in M42. , 1988, The Astrophysical journal.

[87]  Gregory N. Goltsman,et al.  Design and performance of the lattice-cooled hot-electron terahertz mixer , 2000 .

[88]  H. P. Röser,et al.  Antenna measurements of open-structure Schottky mixers and determination of optical elements for a heterodyne system at 184, 214 and 287 μm , 1990 .

[89]  Paul Hartogh,et al.  The High Resolution Chirp Transform Spectrometer for the Sofia-Great Instrument , 2004 .

[90]  T. M. Klapwijk,et al.  Hotspot mixing: A framework for heterodyne mixing in superconducting hot-electron bolometers , 1999 .

[91]  T. E. Gough,et al.  CO2 laser stabilization using an external cavity locked to a reference HeNe laser , 1986 .

[92]  Thomas G. Phillips,et al.  A Low Temperature Bolometer Heterodyne Receiver for Millimeter Wave Astronomy , 1973 .

[93]  R. Schieder,et al.  Stability of heterodyne terahertz receivers , 2006 .

[94]  A. L. Betz,et al.  Heterodyne Spectroscopy of the 63 μm O I Line in M42 , 1996, astro-ph/9603136.

[95]  John Kennedy,et al.  Terahertz local oscillator for the Microwave Limb Sounder on the Aura satellite. , 2007, Applied optics.

[96]  J. Hesler,et al.  Development of multiplier based sources for up to 2 THz , 2007, 2007 Joint 32nd International Conference on Infrared and Millimeter Waves and the 15th International Conference on Terahertz Electronics.

[97]  Mark Harman,et al.  New cryogenic heterodyne techniques applied in TELIS: the balloon-borne THz and submillimeter limb sounder for atmospheric research , 2003, SPIE Optics + Photonics.

[98]  T. Bridges,et al.  Laser action at 452, 496, and 541 μm in optically pumped CH3F , 1970 .

[99]  M. Beck,et al.  Terahertz quantum cascade lasers , 2010, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

[100]  Goutam Chattopadhyay,et al.  Noise Stability of SIS Receivers , 2000 .

[101]  Lorene Samoska,et al.  Power-amplifier modules covering 70-113 GHz using MMICs , 2001 .

[102]  John E. Carlstrom,et al.  Millimeter and Submillimeter Techniques , 1996 .

[103]  I. Mehdi,et al.  Local oscillator chain for 1.55 to 1.75THz with 100-/spl mu/W peak power , 2005, IEEE Microwave and Wireless Components Letters.

[104]  W.C.B. Peatman,et al.  Nanostructure GaAS Schottky diodes for far-infrared heterodyne receivers , 1994 .

[105]  Jonas Zmuidzinas,et al.  CASIMIR: a submillimeter heterodyne spectrometer for SOFIA , 2000, Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation.

[106]  Franz Schreier,et al.  The 2.5 THz heterodyne spectrometer THOMAS: Measurement of OH in the middle atmosphere and comparison with photochemical model results , 2000 .

[107]  R. Wattenbach,et al.  A high resolution heterodyne spectrometer from 100 μm to 1000 μm and the detection of CO (J= 7-6), CO (J= 6-5) and 13CO (J= 3-2) , 1986 .

[108]  A. Kerr.  Suggestions for revised definitions of noise quantities, including quantum effects , 1999 .

[109]  P. Siegel.  Terahertz Technology , 2001 .

[110]  I. Angelov,et al.  The Direct Detection Effect in the Hot-Electron Bolometer Mixer Sensitivity Calibration , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[111]  Jonas Zmuidzinas,et al.  Low-noise 1 THz niobium superconducting tunnel junction mixer with a normal metal tuning circuit , 1996 .

[112]  J.S. Belrose.  Reginald Aubrey Fessenden and the birth of wireless telephony , 2002, IEEE Antennas and Propagation Magazine.

[113]  David A. Ritchie,et al.  High-resolution gas phase spectroscopy with a distributed feedback terahertz quantum cascade laser , 2006 .

[114]  B. Vowinkel,et al.  Characterization and Measurement of System Stability , 1986, Other Conferences.

[115]  Richard E. Harris,et al.  Quasiparticle heterodyne mixing in SIS tunnel junctions , 1978 .

[116]  J. Oort,et al.  Observation of a Line in the Galactic Radio Spectrum: The Interstellar Hydrogen Line at 1,420 Mc./sec., and an Estimate of Galactic Rotation , 1951, Nature.

[117]  Peter H. Siegel,et al.  5-THz GaAs Monolithic Membrane-Diode Mixer , 1999 .

[118]  Alexei Semenov,et al.  Heterodyne receiver for 3-5 THz with hot-electron bolometer mixer , 2004, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[119]  J. P. Gordon,et al.  Multiphoton Process Observed in the Interaction of Microwave Fields with the Tunneling between Superconductor Films , 1963 .

[120]  H.-W. Hübers,et al.  Terahertz imaging system for stand-off detection of threats , 2007, SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[121]  V. Koshelets,et al.  Optimization of the phase-locked flux-flow oscillator for the submm integrated receiver , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity.

[123]  E. Linfield,et al.  Terahertz semiconductor-heterostructure laser , 2002, Nature.

[124]  Jonas Zmuidzinas,et al.  A wideband lag correlator for heterodyne spectroscopy of broad astronomical and atmospheric spectral lines , 2001 .

[125]  Imran Mehdi,et al.  THz local oscillator technology , 2004, SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation.

[126]  Andrey M. Baryshev,et al.  Low-noise 1 THz superconductor–insulator–superconductor mixer incorporating a NbTiN/SiO2/Al tuning circuit , 2001 .

[127]  B S Williams,et al.  Frequency and phase-lock control of a 3 THz quantum cascade laser. , 2005, Optics letters.

[128]  H. Callen,et al.  Irreversibility and Generalized Noise , 1951 .

[129]  D. P. Woody,et al.  Low-noise 115-GHz mixing in superconducting oxide-barrier tunnel junctions , 1979 .

[130]  Raymond Blundell,et al.  Submillimeter receivers for radio astronomy , 1992, Proc. IEEE.

[131]  Frank Helmich,et al.  Herschel HIFI - the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared , 2001 .

[132]  Zhan Rujuan,et al.  Electron cyclotron resonance preionization experiment on the HT-6B tokamak , 1990 .