Niobium-based superconducting nano-devices fabrication using all-metal suspended masks

We report a novel method for the fabrication of superconducting nanodevices based on niobium. The well-known difficulties of lithographic patterning of high-quality niobium are overcome by replacing the usual organic resist mask by a metallic one. The quality of the fabrication procedure is demonstrated by the realization and characterization of long and narrow superconducting lines and niobium-gold-niobium proximity SQUIDs

Characterisation of Cryogenic Material Properties of 3D-Printed Superconducting Niobium using a 3D Lumped Element Microwave Cavity

We present an experimental characterisation of the electrical properties of 3D-printed Niobium. The study was performed by inserting a 3D-printed Nb post inside an Aluminium cylindrical cavity, forming a 3D lumped element re-entrant microwave cavity resonator. The resonator was cooled to temperatures below the critical temperature of Niobium (9.25K) and then Aluminium (1.2K), while measuring the quality factors of the electromagnetic resonances. This was then compared with finite element analysis of the cavity and a measurement of the same cavity with an Aluminium post of similar dimensions and frequency, to extract the surface resistance of the Niobium post. The 3D-printed Niobium exhibited a transition to the superconducting state at a similar temperature to the regular Niobium, as well as a surface resistance of $3.1\times10^{-4}$ $\Omega$. This value was comparable to many samples of traditionally machined Niobium previously studied without specialised surface treatment. Furthermore, this study demonstrates a simple new method for characterizing the material properties of a relatively small and geometrically simple sample of superconductor, which could be easily applied to other materials, particularly 3D-printed materials. Further research and development in additive manufacturing may see the application of 3D-printed Niobium in not only superconducting cavity designs, but in the innovative technology of the future.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

One hundred angstrom niobium wire

Composite of fine niobium wires in copper is used to study the size and proximity effects of a superconductor in a normal matrix. The niobium rod was drawn to a 100 angstrom diameter wire on a copper tubing

Single electron transistors with high quality superconducting niobium islands

Deep submicron Al-AlOx-Nb tunnel junctions and single electron transistors with niobium islands were fabricated by electron beam gun shadow evaporation. Using stencil masks consisting of the thermostable polymer polyethersulfone (PES) and germanium, high quality niobium patterns with good superconducting properties and a gap energy of up to 2Delta = 2.5 meV for the niobium were achieved. The I(U) characteristics of the transistors show special features due to tunneling of single Cooper pairs and significant gate modulation in both the superconducting and the normal state.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Ab-initio calculations for structural properties of Zr-Nb alloys

Ab-initio calculations for the structural properties of Zr-Nb alloys at different values of the niobium concentration are done at zero temperature. Different cases for Zr-Nb alloys with unit cells having BCC and HCP structures are considered. Optimal values of the lattice constants are obtained. Critical value for the niobium concentration corresponding to the structural transformation HCP \rightarrow BCC at zero temperature is determined. Electronic densities of states for two different structures with niobium concentrations 12.5% and 25% having HCP and BCC structures, accordingly, are studied.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure