We report a new experiment on a high-resolution heterodyne spectrometer using a 3.5 THz quantum cascade laser
(QCL) as local oscillator (LO) and a superconducting hot electron bolometer (HEB) as mixer by stabilizing both
frequency and amplitude of the QCL. The frequency locking of the QCL is demonstrated by using a methanol molecular
absorption line, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, and a direct power detector. We show that the LO
locked linewidth can be as narrow as 35 KHz. The LO power to the HEB is also stabilized by means of swing-arm
actuator placed in the beam path in combination of a second PID controller.
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 have characterized a heterodyne receiver based on an NbN hot electron bolometer integrated with spiral antenna as
mixer and an optically pumped FIR ring laser at 4.3 THz as local oscillator (LO). We succeeded in measuring the
receiver output power, responding to the hot/cold load, as a function of bias voltage at optimum LO power. From the
resulted receiver noise temperature versus the bias voltage, we found a DSB receiver noise temperature of 3500 K at a
bath temperature of 4 K, which is a minimum average value. This is the highest sensitivity reported so far at frequencies
above 4 THz.
Detection peculiarities of an un-cooled (room temperature) 8x8 pixel array designed to image broadband THz radiation
were investigated. Each pixel consists of a thin conductive film absorber on a dielectric membrane with thermopile
temperature readout. It was designed and tested for four combinations of two different types of absorber and thermopile
materials. The photo-response profile, determined by scanning the pixels through the focus of a THz laser beam, was
wider than expected from a 2-D convolution of the Gaussian beam and the absorber surface. Also the time response did
depend on the position of the beam relative to the pixel. Simulations show that those properties are due to the fact that
also the thermopiles absorb THz radiation. For the best composition of absorber and thermopile, the responsivity, the
noise equivalent power, and the bandwidth were estimated to be of 28 V/W, 5x10-9 W/Hz1/2 and 50 Hz, respectively.
A new calorimetric absolute power meter has been developed for THz radiation. This broad band THz power meter measures average power at ambient temperature and pressure, does not use a window, and is insensitive to polarization and time structure of THz radiation. The operation of the power meter is based on the calorimetric method: in order to determine the power of a beam of THz radiation, the beam is used to illuminate a highly absorbing surface with known BRDF characteristics until a stable temperature is reached. The power in the incident beam can then be determined by measuring the electric power needed to cause the sample temperature rise. The new power meter was used with laser calorimetry to measure the absorptivity, and thus the emissivity, of aluminum-coated silicon carbide mirror samples produced during the coating qualification run of the Herschel Space Observatory telescope to be launched by the European Space Agency in 2007. The samples were measured at 77 Kelvin to simulate the operating temperature of the telescope in its planned orbit around the second Lagrangian point, L2, of the Earth-Sun system. The absorptivity of both clean and dust-contaminated samples was measured at 70, 118, 184 and 496 mm and found to be in the range 0.2 - 0.8%.
The photocurrent spectra in 27 - 37 μm wavelength range of the InGaAs/GaAs heterostructure with carbon δ-doping on the edge of the quantum wells has been investigated using free electron laser (FELIX). The resonant response has been revealed at the wavelength 34.3 μm. The energy of observed photocurrent peak (approximately 36.2 meV) is in a good agreement with the calculated energy of the hole transition from the ground state to the first excited resonant state of the impurity. The hole relaxation time to the acceptor ground state is estimated.
Absorbing coatings for the HIFI and PACS spectrometers aboard the Herschel platform have been developed and optically characterized. Using radiation from an optically pumped far-infrared laser at wavelengths in the 90 - 900 μm range, the specular as well as the diffuse reflection - characterized by the Bi-directional Reflection Distribution Function - have been determined. The influence of polarization has been addressed too. Moreover, the absorption of non-absorbing diffusely reflecting surfaces, to be used for integrating spheres, has been determined using a low temperature calorimetric method.
Stephan Winnerl, Ekkehard Schomburg, S. Brandl, F. Klappenberger, Karl Renk, Alexander van der Meer, J. Hovenier, R. van Es, T. Klaasen, A. Ignatov, Nikolai Ledentsov, Victor Ustinov, Alexey Zhukov, Alexey Kovsh, Petr Kop'ev
We report on a GaAs/AlAs superlattice detector as a novel direct detector and autocorrelator for THz radiation. It is based on a doped wide-miniband GaAs/AlAs superlattice, with submonolayer AlAs barrier layers; the superlattice is operated at room temperature. THz radiation, generated by a free-electron laser and a mode locked p-Ge laser, was coupled into the superlattice via a corner cube antenna system. THz-irradiation of the biased superlattice resulted in a current reduction, which was monitored. The direct detector showed a fast response (20 ps, limited by the electronic circuit) and was robust against intense radiation pulses (peak power 10 kW). The responsivity was 100 times higher than the responsivity of detectors of comparable risetime and comparable robustness. Intense THz radiation caused a complete suppression of the current through the superlattice. This is the basis of the superlattice autocorrelator. The superlattice autocorrelator could resolve picosecond radiation pulses.
Wavelength dependent properties of the p-Ge THz laser are reported for pulsed as well as for mode locked operation. The original small mirror laser outcoupler has been replaced by a mesh outcoupler, resulting in clear improvements of laser action. The optical output has been analyzed using a grating spectrometer and fast Schottky diode detectors. FOr 0.25 <EQ B <EQ 0.6T, 170-185 micrometers emission occurs. Laser action starts at short wavelength; during the pulse, longer wavelength components gain intensity, until simultaneous emission across the whole band occurs. With the mesh outcoupler instead of a small mirror, the small signal gain is found to increase, for instance from 0.015 cm-1 to 0.04 cm-1 at 172 micrometers . With the rf field modulation applied, 770 MHz mode locking of the laser is achieved at 172 micrometers , yielding a train of 100 ps FWHM pulses. For 0.5 <EQ B <EQ 1.4T, 75-120 micrometers emission is observed, dependent on both B and E field. Time-and wavelength dependence is complicated; often an oscillatory behavior of spectral components is seen. Although this effect complicates the formation of stable pulse trains under mode locked conditions, 140 ps pulses have been produced.
The p-Ge hot hole laser is as yet the only solid state tunable laser with a strong emission in the THz frequency range. Monte Carlo simulations have shown that modelocking of the laser on the intervalence band transition should be possible by gain modulation through the application of an appropriate rf electric field. Recently we did observe for the first time the generation of 200 picosecond pulses in the high frequency (approximately equals 100 cm-1) emission range. Now also pulses as short as 100 ps have been observed in the low frequency regime (approximately equals 50 cm-1). A detailed study of the wavelength dependent optical output of the laser has been started now for (normal) pulsed -- as well as for active mode locked operation. Results on pulse shape and small signal gain in the low frequency (equals low magnetic field) regime are given.
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