Non-Thermal Absorption and Quantum Efficiency of SINIS Bolometer

We study mechanisms of absorption in two essentially different types of superconductor-insulator-normal metal-insulator-superconductor (SINIS) bolometers with absorber directly placed on Si wafer and with absorber suspended above the substrate. The figure of merit for quantum photon absorption is quantum efficiency equal to the number of detected electrons for one photon. The efficiency of absorption is dramatically dependent on phonon losses to substrate and electrodes, and electron energy losses to electrodes through tunnel junctions. The maximum quantum efficiency can approach n = hf/kT = 160 at f = 350 GHz T = 0.1 K, and current responsivity dI/dP = e/kT in quantum gain bolometer case, contrary to photon counter mode with quantum efficiency of n = 1 and responsivity dI/dP = e/hf. In experiments, we approach intrinsic quantum efficiency up to n = 80 electrons per photon in bolometer with suspended absorber, contrary to quantum efficiency of about one for absorber on the substrate. In the case of suspended Cu and Pd absorber, Kapitsa resistance protect from power leak to Al electrodes

Superconducting Receivers for Space, Balloon, and Ground-Based Sub-Terahertz Radio Telescopes

We give a review of both our own original scientific results of the development of superconducting receivers for sub-terahertz astronomy and the main leading concepts of the global instrumentation. The analysis of current astronomical problems, the results of microwave astroclimate research, and the development of equipment for sub-terahertz radio astronomy studies justify the need and feasibility of a major infrastructure project in Russia to create a sub-terahertz telescope, as well as to enhance the implementation of the ongoing Millimetron and Suffa projects. The following results are discussed: i) superconducting coherent receivers and broadband subterahertz detectors for space, balloon, and ground-based radio telescopes have been developed and tested; ii) ultrasensitive receiving systems based on tunnel structures such as superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) and superconductor-insulator-normal metal-insulator-superconductor (SINIS) have been created, fabricated, and examined; iii) a receiving array based on SINIS detectors and microwave readout system for such structures has been implemented; iv) methods for manufacturing high-quality tunnel structures Nb/AlOx/Nb and Nb/AlN/NbN based on niobium films with a current density of up to 30 kA/cm(2) have been developed. Receivers operated at 200 to 950 GHz and having a noise temperature only a factor of 2 to 5 higher than the quantum limit have been created and tested

Global trends of information and communication technologies expansion

In the article the long-term trends in expansion of the major information and communication technologies (ICTs) are considered over the period of XX — the begining of XXI centuries. Innovation waves of informatization are presented. Competition and complementarity of different ICTs are analyzed, as well as the possibility of the “overcoming” scenario of the catching-up development. The specificities of the major ICTs’ global diffusion and the “digital divide” dynamics are characterized. Issues of the world information space' self-ogranization and countries' international communicative openness are covered

Development of Josephson Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifier Based on Aluminum SIS Junctions

Prototypes of the design of Josephson traveling-wave parametric amplifier based on aluminum superconductor–insulator–superconductor junctions in the form of direct-current SQUIDs included in central conductor of coplanar line are developed, fabricated, and investigated. Three manufacturing methods for the fabrication of such devices are tested: two of them using shadow evaporation and one using magnetron sputtering and direct electron-beam lithography. Current–voltage characteristics of the junctions are measured at 0.3 K. A cryogenic setup for the measurement of spectral characteristics of such amplifier containing cold semiconductor amplifier with circulator and cooled attenuators of the channels of input signal and pump is developed. The absorption spectrum of coplanar directional coupler with a quarter-wave resonator dedicated for measurements of short chains from one to 27 SQUIDs is measured

Cryogenic Mimim and Simis Microwave Detectors

Microwave detectors of the Metal-Insulator-Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIMIM) structure and the Superconductor-Insulator-Metal-Insulator-Superconductor (SIMIS) structure have been designed, fabricated and investigated. The difference of such samples was in external electrodes, MIMIM uses copper external electrodes, while SIMIS uses aluminum. Identical in dimensions MIMIM and SIMIS samples have been fabricated and experimentally studied in the temperature range of 0.1-2.7 K. Voltage and current response were measured at 300 GHz external irradiation using Backward Wave Oscillator (BWO). According to our estimates, the MIMIM current responsivity is 1.1\ub7103 A/W in the case of a photon response and 4\ub7104 A/W in the case of a bolometric response. The estimated noise equivalent power is in the range 2.5\ub710 18 W/v Hz to 1.2\ub710-19 W/vHz

Arrays of Annular Antennas With SINIS Bolometers

For improving the dynamic range and sensitivity at high power load, we have integrated superconductor-insulator-normal metal-insulator-superconductor (SINIS) bolometers with a frequency selective surface (FSS)-based distributed absorber formed by a series and parallel array consisting of 25 annular antenna elements, each containing two SINIS bolometers. By using a design with 50 bolometers, we reduce incident power load on each bolometer, increase sensitivity and saturation power which is important for ground-based and balloon-borne telescopes with high background power loads. Our main detector pixel is optimized for a frequency band centered at 345GHz. The detectors are matched to incoming telescope beam by a back-to-back horn with a back reflector. Such a configuration improves both the efficiency and the bandwidth of the receiver. Measured voltage responsivity approaches 210(9) VW with an amplifier-limited voltage noise of 20nVHz(12), which corresponds to a NEP 10(-17) WHz(12). The linear voltage response for incoming power is observed for absorbed power of about 5 pW. The current responsivity for parallel array is 210(4) AW and the shot noise limited intrinsic noise equivalent power is NEP 510(-18)WHz(12). The noise equivalent temperature difference is NETD 100 KHz(12) at 2.7-K background radiation temperature

A 90 GHz SINIS detector with 2 GHz readout

A superconductor-insulator-normal metal-insulator-superconductor (SINIS) detector integrated in a planar 90 GHz band twin-slot antenna with a 2 GHz superconducting resonator readout was fabricated and experimentally studied. In order to achieve high pixel count, the traditional dc readout of the SINIS detector is replaced by NbN coplanar 13.850 mm long superconducting resonator. SINIS detectors have traditionally dc Junction Field Effect Transistor (JFET) room-temperature readout. Such readout requires individual wiring for each pixel, while the microwave readout is far less cluttered as only one coaxial line is needed for hundreds of devices. Such readout operates similar to frequency domain multiplexing (FDM) for microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKID). The planar twin slot antenna has two parallel slots in a metal ground plane which are excited coherently by short sections of a coplanar waveguide (CPW) line with a SINIS detector at the center. One section of the CPW is extended past the slot in a long superconducting section which functions as a quarter wavelength resonator. This resonator is short circuited to the ground plane at the far end, with the expected open circuited end terminated by the SINIS detector in the antenna. We measured the response of sample to black body radiation temperatures 6 K and 9 K. The corresponding dynamic resistance maximum drops from 50 k down to 30 k. An RF readout channel comprising a coplanar coupler and a coplanar resonator has a resonant frequency of 1.8 GHz. Unloaded Q factor (without incoming irradiation) is 200. The signal spectral characteristics and the response to the black body radiation have shown design values as expected

Spectral Response of Arrays of Half-wave and Electrically Small Antennas with SINIS Bolometers

Two types arrays of annular half-wave and electrically small antennas with typical sizes of the elements corresponding to 1/10 of the wavelength at SubTHz band with integrated superconductor-insulator-normal metal-insulator-superconductor (SINIS) bolometers have been developed, fabricated and experimentally studied. We performed numerical modeling of the full structure and use additional reference channels in experimental studies to enhance the accuracy of the spectral response estimations of receiving arrays. In experiments three reference channels were used for normalization of the spectral response: a pyroelectric detector outside the cryostat, and two cold channels-a RuO(2)bolometer and on-chip thermometer comprising series array of NIS-junctions