Equivalent Scheme of a Detector Using the Hot Electron Effect

Summary form only given. Microwave solid-state detectors and mixers based on the hot electron effect are widely used in relativistic high frequency electronics as a convenient means of diagnostics. These devices are used for measuring short high power pulses for frequencies ranging from hundreds of megahertz to hundreds of gigahertz. They have wide dynamic range and, importantly, are not adversely affected by overloading. Sensitivity in such detectors is easily controlled within a wide range without recalibration. The present work proposes a simple equivalent scheme of a semiconducting probe, which allows us to realize a correct algorithm for analyzing basic processes of transformation of the spectrum of signals and their filtration, and also to tackle issues associated with embedding the detector in a circuit for measurement. Operating regimes of waveguide and coaxial detectors are studied using the suggested scheme. In particular, we analyze possible sources of measurement error due to high harmonics in the spectrum of received radiation and frequency-dependence of the detector's electrodynamic system.