Development of MKIDs in the Optical and Near-infrared Bands for SPIAKID

SpectroPhotometric Imaging in Astronomy with Kinetic Inductance Detectors (SPIAKID) aims at designing, building, and deploying on the sky a spectrophotometric imager based on microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) in the optical and near-infrared bands. MKIDs show a fast response and the ability to resolve photon energy compared to the conventional Charge-coupled Devices (CCDs). In this paper, we present the design and simulation of the MKID arrays for SPIAKID. The detectors consist of four arrays with each array of 20,000 lumped-element pixels, and each array will be read with 10 readout lines. %The array is designed to have resonances between 4-8GHz with a frequency spacing of 2 MHz and a coupling quality factor (Qc) of about 50000. The meander material of the resonators is trilayer TiN/Ti/TiN to have better uniformity of the critical temperature across the array. We also present the measurement result for a test array with $30\times30$ pixels which is a subset of the designed 2000-pixel array to verify the design and fabrication. The current measured best energy resolving power $R = E/\Delta E$ is 2.4 at $\lambda = 405~$nm and the current medium R is around 1.7. We have also observed the response of the TiN/Ti/TiN is much smaller than expected.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures. Accepted by the Journal of Low Temperature Physic

Fluxon modes and phase-locking at 600 GHz in superconducting tunnel junction nonuniform arrays

International audienceWe investigated parallel arrays of superconducting Nb/AlOx/Nb tunnel junctions nonevenly distributed in a superconducting Nb/SiO/Nb microstrip transmission line. Such devices are discretized Josephson transmission lines (DJTLs) in which, from theory, magnetic flux quanta (``fluxons'') can travel as solitonic waves when a dc current bias and a dc magnetic field are applied. We observed a reproducible series of resonant branches in each device's I-V curve, at Josephson submillimeter-wave frequencies (from 240 to 720 GHz) matching the resonances predicted using a transmission line analysis, where the loading of the N=5 junctions is fully taken into account. The nonperiodic distribution was optimized to provide rf matching over a large bandwidth (450-650 GHz typically), implying that the plasma resonance of junctions is inductively tuned out over a similar band by the array. A confirmation of this comes from the observation, at frequencies higher than the untuned junctions plasma frequency, of several Josephson phenomena reported in this article: Fiske-like resonances, phase-locking of the n=3 resonance to an external 600 GHz microwave source, rf-induced zero crossing, and resonances at fractional harmonics of the rf signal. These experimental results are all compatible with a fluxon-based resonances interpretation, as in the extensively studied long Josephson junctions yet at higher frequencies. As reported elsewhere, we could detect ~500 GHz microwave radiation emitted by our devices in the n=1 and n=3 modes. In light of these unique properties, we propose nonuniform DJTLs as a promising type of Josephson device for submillimeter-wave oscillators and fast fluxon-based electronics

Développement d'un démonstrateur de récepteur hétérodyne submillimétrique ultra-large bande à base de jonctions Supraconducteur-Isolant-Supraconducteur (SIS), refroidi à 4,2 K

PARIS-BIUSJ-Thèses (751052125) / SudocPARIS-BIUSJ-Physique recherche (751052113) / SudocSudocFranceF

2.7 THz Balanced Waveguide HEB Mixer

International audienceWe report on the development of a waveguide-based balanced superconducting mixer for operation near 2.7 THz. The mixer employs a pair of NbN hot-electron bolometers defined on 6 mum-thick silicon substrate that follows a 90° hybrid coupler. To produce the critical structures of the coupler and waveguide embedding circuit, we have utilized silicon micromachining techniques based on deep reactive ion etching. Operating near 4.2 K bath temperature, we have measured a minimum uncorrected DSB receiver noise temperature of less than 2000 K using Callen-Welton formula and local oscillator sideband noise rejection better than 13 3 dB at 2.74 THz. The concept is suitable for building arrays, readily scalable for higher frequencies up 5 THz, and could accommodate other mixer technologies, such as room-temperature Schottky diode mixers

2.7 THz Balanced Waveguide HEB Mixer

International audienceWe report on the development of a waveguide-based balanced superconducting mixer for operation near 2.7 THz. The mixer employs a pair of NbN hot-electron bolometers defined on 6 mum-thick silicon substrate that follows a 90° hybrid coupler. To produce the critical structures of the coupler and waveguide embedding circuit, we have utilized silicon micromachining techniques based on deep reactive ion etching. Operating near 4.2 K bath temperature, we have measured a minimum uncorrected DSB receiver noise temperature of less than 2000 K using Callen-Welton formula and local oscillator sideband noise rejection better than 13 3 dB at 2.74 THz. The concept is suitable for building arrays, readily scalable for higher frequencies up 5 THz, and could accommodate other mixer technologies, such as room-temperature Schottky diode mixers

Interference filter properties of nonuniform Josephson junction arrays

International audienceWe experimentally and numerically study the zero-voltage supercurrent versus magnetic field of nonuniform arrays of Josephson junctions parallel-connected by a superconducting stripline. The measured curves are complex, geometry-dependent, and in excellent agreement with numerical simulations using a specially developed model. Such arrays can be optimized to have specific interference patterns, suited for applications in magnetometery, quasiparticle microwave sensors, Josephson oscillators, and superconducting electronics

2.7 THz Balanced Waveguide HEB Mixer

International audienceWe report on the development of a waveguide-based balanced superconducting mixer for operation near 2.7 THz. The mixer employs a pair of NbN hot-electron bolometers defined on 6 mum-thick silicon substrate that follows a 90° hybrid coupler. To produce the critical structures of the coupler and waveguide embedding circuit, we have utilized silicon micromachining techniques based on deep reactive ion etching. Operating near 4.2 K bath temperature, we have measured a minimum uncorrected DSB receiver noise temperature of less than 2000 K using Callen-Welton formula and local oscillator sideband noise rejection better than 13 3 dB at 2.74 THz. The concept is suitable for building arrays, readily scalable for higher frequencies up 5 THz, and could accommodate other mixer technologies, such as room-temperature Schottky diode mixers