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Uncooled Antenna-Coupled Microbolometer for Detection of Terahertz Radiation

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Abstract

In this contribution, we describe the design, technology, and physical parameters of antenna-coupled microbolometer, used for broadband detection of terahertz electromagnetic spectrum. This microbolometer features an application of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 layer grown on multilayered material stack ensuring lattice matching of the sensing LSMO layer to silicon. By virtue of bulk micromachining of silicon-on-insulator substrates, the sensing structure is built on thin suspended membrane to provide weak thermal link, increasing thermal response, thus sensitivity. Additionally, it helps suppressing excitation of in-plane guided surface modes that will otherwise deteriorate the antenna radiation diagram and affect the spectral responsivity of the sensor. Finally, the operation of sensor is demonstrated using a molecular laser setup at 762 GHz (and also 1.4 THz) emission line. The parameters of the said microbolometers are analyzed in terms of response and time constant. Optimal working temperature of the detectors is about 65 °C.

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Funding

This work was mostly driven by the European metrological project JRP-n15 “Microwave and terahertz metrology for homeland security,” and by national projects APVV 14-0613, APVV 0450-10, and APVV 0455-12 financed by the Slovak grant Agency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Electrical Engineering, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 841 04, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Ivan Ryger, Peter Lobotka, Stefan Chromik, Tibor Lalinsky, Marianna Spankova, Stefan Gazi, Michaela Sojkova & Gabriel Vanko

  2. Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Abbestraße 2–12, 10587, Berlin, Germany

    Andreas Steiger

  3. Department of Radio Electronics, Brno University of Technology, Technická 3082/12, Brno, Czech Republic

    Zbyněk Raida & Kamil Pítra

  4. Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences, A-6850, Dornbirn, Austria

    Johann Zehetner

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  1. Ivan Ryger
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Appendix

Appendix

Although the antenna-coupled microbolometer was designed to operate in the frequency interval of 100 GHz–1 THz, we carried out a measurement beyond the resonance of the smallest antenna tooth, namely at 1.4-THz molecular laser emission line. As shown on the picture, attached, the microbolometer biased by DC current I = 0.1 mA was able to detect and map the beam power density even at this high frequency. The small aspect ratio between measured semi-axes of the elliptical beam indicates that beyond the antenna resonance, its contribution to the overall signal was relatively small and the terahertz beam was directly absorbed in high-dielectric-constant LSMO disk bolometer (Fig. 14).

Fig. 14
figure 14

1.4-THz-line beam planar scan of the microbolometer, showing direct partial beam absorption by the microbolometer disk. The DC bias current was IDC = 0.1 mA, respectively; DC voltage drop on the microbolometer was 71.7 mV. The beam intensity was 1.615 mW. Graph is in relative units; 100% signal intensity corresponds to 41 μV first harmonic component of the demodulated signal

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Ryger, I., Lobotka, P., Steiger, A. et al. Uncooled Antenna-Coupled Microbolometer for Detection of Terahertz Radiation. J Infrared Milli Terahz Waves 42, 462–478 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10762-021-00781-y

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