TREND: a low-noise terahertz receiver user instrument for AST/RO at the South Pole

Eyal Gerecht; Sigfrid Yngvesson; John Nicholson; Yan Zhuang; Fernando Rodriguez-Morales; Xin Zhao; Dazhen Gu; Richard Zannoni; Michael J. Coulombe; Jason C. Dickinson; Thomas M. Goyette; Jerry Waldman; Christopher E. Groppi; Abigail S. Hedden; Dathon Golish; Christopher K. Walker; Antony A. Stark; Christopher Martin; Adair Lane

doi:10.1117/12.459316

17 February 2003 TREND: a low noise terahertz receiver user instrument for AST/RO at the South Pole

Eyal Gerecht, Sigfrid Yngvesson, John Nicholson, Yan Zhuang, Fernando Rodriguez-Morales, Xin Zhao, Dazhen Gu, Richard Zannoni, Michael J. Coulombe, Jason C. Dickinson, Thomas M. Goyette, Jerry Waldman, Christopher E. Groppi, Abigail S. Hedden, Dathon Golish, Christopher K. Walker, Antony A. Stark, Christopher Martin, Adair Lane

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4855, Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors for Astronomy; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459316
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

Based on the excellent performance of NbN HEB mixer receivers at THz frequencies which we have established in the laboratory, we are building a Terahertz REceiver with NbN HEB Device (TREND) to be installed on the 1.7 meter diameter AST/RO submillimeter wave telescope at the Amundsen/Scott South Pole Station. TREND is scheduled for deployment during the austral summer season of 2002/2003. The frequency range of 1.25 THz to 1.5 THz was chosen in order to match the good windows for atmospheric transmission and interstellar spectral lines of special interest. The South Pole Station is the best available site for THz observations due to the very cold and dry atmosphere over this site. In this paper, we report on the design of this receiver. In particular, we report on HEB mixer device performance, the quasi-optical coupling design using an elliptical silicon lens and a twin-slot antenna, the laser local oscillator (LO), as well as the mixer block design and the plans for coupling the TREND receiver to the sky beam and to the laser LO at the AST/RO telescope site.

Citation Download Citation

Eyal Gerecht, Sigfrid Yngvesson, John Nicholson, Yan Zhuang, Fernando Rodriguez-Morales, Xin Zhao, Dazhen Gu, Richard Zannoni, Michael J. Coulombe, Jason C. Dickinson, Thomas M. Goyette, Jerry Waldman, Christopher E. Groppi, Abigail S. Hedden, Dathon Golish, Christopher K. Walker, Antony A. Stark, Christopher Martin, and Adair Lane "TREND: a low noise terahertz receiver user instrument for AST/RO at the South Pole", Proc. SPIE 4855, Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors for Astronomy, (17 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459316

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available