Terahertz photonic mixers as local oscillators for hot electron bolometer and superconductor-insulator-superconductor astronomical receivers, ,

in Journal of Applied Physics (2006), 100

A pump experiment of two astronomical heterodyne receivers, a superconductorinsulator- superconductor SIS receiver at 450 GHz and a hot-electron-bolometer HEB receiver at 750 GHz, is reported. A low ... [more ▼]

A pump experiment of two astronomical heterodyne receivers, a superconductorinsulator- superconductor SIS receiver at 450 GHz and a hot-electron-bolometer HEB receiver at 750 GHz, is reported. A low-temperature-grown GaAs metal-semiconductor-metal photonic local oscillator LO was illuminated by two near infrared semiconductor lasers, generating a beat frequency in the submillimeter range. I-V junction characteristics for different LO pump power levels demonstrate that the power delivered by the photomixer is sufficient to pump a SIS and a HEB mixer. SIS receiver noise temperatures were compared using a conventional solid-state LO anda photonic LO. In both cases, the best receiver noise temperature was identical Tsys=170 K . [less ▲]