Problems of cryogenic cooling of superconductor and semiconductor receivers in the range 0.1–1 THz

Abstract

We present the theoretical fundamentals and features of development of cryogenic cooling systems for receivers in the range 0.1–1 THz. The results of development of cryogenic systems for sustaining the temperatures in the range from 150 to 0.3 K are considered. The systems are based on a wide class of cryogenic devices employing various principles and thermodynamic cycles. The described developments are based on the unity of the thermal and radiophysical complexes of the cooled receiver and the cryosystem. The discussed cryosystems are specifically used to cool receivers with the mixers based on Schottky-barrier diodes and superconductor-insulator-superconductor structures, as well as on various bolometers. The problems of heat insulation against the surrounding medium and heat transfer from the receiver to the cryogenic liquid, the features of the input/output of signals in a wide frequency range and of mechanical vacuum-tight thermo-decoupled inputs to the cryostat, and the control systems for cryoelectronic complexes are considered in detail. The presented results can be used for both laboratory experiments and practical applications in radio astronomy, atmosphere spectroscopy, and other fields.