Far-infrared Schottky barrier diode mixers
Paper in proceeding, 2025

Receivers operating in ambient temperatures are essential for long-duration space missions aiming to measure gas spectra at terahertz frequencies for atmospheric sciences. This paper discusses the current status and advancements of 2-5 THz Schottky barrier diode mixers. Several challenges related to fabrication and assembly tolerances significantly influence performance, including the complex high-frequency loss in the integrated semiconductor diode circuit. This paper will present how to address these challenges and the status and progress toward room-temperature heterodyne receivers for the far-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Author

Jan Stake

WiTECH

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Terahertz and Millimetre Wave Laboratory

Divya Jayasankar

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Terahertz and Millimetre Wave Laboratory

WiTECH

Jonathan Westin

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Terahertz and Millimetre Wave Laboratory

Theodore Reck

WiTECH

Virginia Diodes, Inc.

Jeffrey Hesler

WiTECH

Virginia Diodes, Inc.

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Terahertz and Millimetre Wave Laboratory

Peter Sobis

Low Noise Factory

WiTECH

Olivier Auriacombe

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Terahertz and Millimetre Wave Laboratory

WiTECH

Heinz-Wilhelm Huebers

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

2025 50th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz)

2162-2027 (ISSN) 2162-2035 (eISSN)


979-8-3503-7883-2 (ISBN)

50th International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz)
Helsinki, Finland,

Far-infrared semiconductor electronics (FIRE)

European Commission (EC) (EC/HE/101142356), 2024-10-01 -- 2029-09-30.

Supra-THz semiconductor electronics for space-borne Earth observations

Swedish National Space Board (2023-00310), 2024-01-01 -- 2027-12-31.

Development of the national infrastructure for microwave and terahertz characterization: expanding the use of the electromagnetic spectrum

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2020-06187), 2021-01-01 -- 2024-12-31.

Areas of Advance

Information and Communication Technology

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Infrastructure

Kollberg Laboratory

Myfab (incl. Nanofabrication Laboratory)

Subject Categories (SSIF 2025)

Other Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering

DOI

10.1109/IRMMW-THz61557.2025.11319778

ISBN

9798350378832

More information

Latest update

3/30/2026