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SEMICONDUCTOR-SUPERLATTICE FREQUENCY MIXER FOR DETECTION OF SUBMILLIMETER WAVES

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Abstract

We report on a GaAs/AlAs superlattice frequency mixer for detection of submillimeter waves. The mixer is based on the nonlinear miniband transport giving rise to domains excited under the action of a microwave field. We designed the mixer for broadband operation (300–600 GHz). For studying basic properties, we investigated the mixer as a harmonic mixer in 15th order to detect radiation at a radio frequency (RF) near 300 GHz using local oscillator (LO) radiation of a frequency near 20 GHz. We reached a noise equivalent power (NEP) of about 10 fW/Hz. We also show that the use of the superlattice mixer together with a superlattice frequency multiplier allows to realize a superlattice-based free-space transmission line for submillimeter waves.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany

    K. F. Renk, A. Rogl, B. I. Stahl & A. Meier

  2. Department of Radiophysics, Nizny Novgorod State University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

    Yu. I. Koschurinov & D. G. Pavel’ev

  3. A. F. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia

    V. Ustinov, A. Zhukov, N. Maleev & A. Vasilyev

Authors
  1. K. F. Renk
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  2. A. Rogl
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  3. B. I. Stahl
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  4. A. Meier
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  5. Yu. I. Koschurinov
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  6. D. G. Pavel’ev
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  7. V. Ustinov
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  8. A. Zhukov
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  9. N. Maleev
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  10. A. Vasilyev
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. F. Renk.

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Renk, K.F., Rogl, A., Stahl, B.I. et al. SEMICONDUCTOR-SUPERLATTICE FREQUENCY MIXER FOR DETECTION OF SUBMILLIMETER WAVES. Int J Infrared Milli Waves 27, 373–380 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-006-9074-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-006-9074-y

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