Dual band 550/1200 GHz wideband spectrometer for planetary observation

Erich T. Schlecht; Vahraz Jamnejad; Robert F. Jarnot; Bertrand Thomas; Rick Raffanti; Robert Lin

doi:10.1117/12.930169

15 October 2012 Dual band 550/1200 GHz wideband spectrometer for planetary observation

Erich T. Schlecht, Vahraz Jamnejad, Robert F. Jarnot, Bertrand Thomas, Rick Raffanti, Robert Lin

Proceedings Volume 8496, Terahertz Emitters, Receivers, and Applications III; 84960U (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.930169
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2012, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

NASA and ESA are planning missions to Jupiter and its moons. There is strong interest in a submillimeter/Terahertz spectroscopic heterodyne instrument covering the bands 520 to 600 GHz and 1100 to 1300 GHz. Therefore, we are developing a prototype instrument incorporating unique features not previously developed for planetary instrumentation. These include (1) extremely wide, rapid tunability. The Herschel/HIFI astronomical instrument, is also wideband, but far larger. It incorporates a 3.5 meter telescope on a spacecraft massing over three tons orbiting near Earth, versus our 20 kg Jupiter spectrometer. Hence, we have developed a wideband low-phase-noise synthesizer pumping two Schottky diode LO multiplier chains outputting 520 to 600 and 550 to 650 GHz. Also based on Schottky diodes are (b) 550 and 1200 GHz room temperature mixers. The high frequency mixer is subharmonically pumped; the lower balanced fundamental. To analyze the IF signals from the mixers, (c) ASIC based digital polyphase spectrometers consuming only a few Watts each are being incorporated into the instrument. Finally, since signals for both receivers come from one telescope, we include a new (d) compact dual band low-loss optical bench. It uses the fact that each receiver accepts one polarization, making a polarizing beam splitter sufficient to split the beam with minimal loss.

Citation Download Citation

Erich T. Schlecht, Vahraz Jamnejad, Robert F. Jarnot, Bertrand Thomas, Rick Raffanti, and Robert Lin "Dual band 550/1200 GHz wideband spectrometer for planetary observation", Proc. SPIE 8496, Terahertz Emitters, Receivers, and Applications III, 84960U (15 October 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.930169

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KEYWORDS

Receivers

Optical benches

Spectroscopy

Switching

Telescopes

Mirrors

Space telescopes

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