Dvelopment of 1.9THz-band waveguide-type hot-electron bolometer mixer for astronomical heterodyne spectroscopy

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26287033
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Osaka Prefecture University
• Principal Investigator: Maezawa Hiroyuki 大阪府立大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (00377780)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YAMAMOTO Satoshi 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科, 教授 (80182624)
• Research Collaborator: Oguchi Osamu 東京大学 ; Soma Tatsuya 東京大学 ; Ebisawa Yuji 東京大学 ; Saito Kosuke 大阪府立大学 ; Nishida Yuji 大阪府立大学 ; Kimura Kimihiro 大阪府立大学
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 天文学 / 地球・惑星科学 / 超伝導デバイス / テラヘルツ波 / ヘテロダイン分光 / 放射輸送モデル / リモートセンシング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The terahertz(THz)-wave band lies between radio waves and the infrared bands, which is an unexplored wavelength region for highly sensitive heterodyne detectors. Spectral lines of carbon ions and oxygen atoms, and so on, responsible for the material circulation in galaxies, high excitation lines of various molecules, and important oxidants like OH radical in the Earth's and planetary atmospheres are located in the 1.8-2 THz band. For opening up a breakthrough in highly-resolved remote sensing of these gaseous species, an 1.8-2 THz band　horn / waveguide type hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer employing a superconducting NbTiN thin bridge was designed and the microfabrication technology was established. In addition, we verified the feasibility of predicted THz band limb sounding observations of Earth's, martian and venusian atmospheres with the HEB mixers on-board SMILES-2.

Free Research Field

天文学、地球・惑星科学