Circuit approach to photonic heat transport

We discuss the heat transfer by photons between two metals coupled by a linear element with a reactive impedance. Using a simple circuit approach, we calculate the spectral power transmitted from one resistor to the other and find that it is determined by the photon transmission coefficient, which depends on the impedances of the metals and the coupling element. We study the total photonic power flow for different coupling impedances, both in the linear regime, where the temperature difference between the metals is small, and in the non-linear regime of large temperature differences.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Etching suspended superconducting hybrid junctions from a multilayer

A novel method to fabricate large-area superconducting hybrid tunnel junctions with a suspended central normal metal part is presented. The samples are fabricated by combining photo-lithography and chemical etch of a superconductor - insulator - normal metal multilayer. The process involves few fabrication steps, is reliable and produces extremely high-quality tunnel junctions. Under an appropriate voltage bias, a significant electronic cooling is demonstrated

Subkelvin tunneling spectroscopy showing Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer superconductivity in heavily boron-doped silicon epilayers

Scanning tunneling spectroscopies in the subKelvin temperature range were performed on superconducting Silicon epilayers doped with Boron in the atomic percent range. The resulting local differential conductance behaved as expected for a homogeneous superconductor, with an energy gap dispersion below +/- 10%. The spectral shape, the amplitude and temperature dependence of the superconductivity gap follow the BCS model, bringing further support to the hypothesis of a hole pairing mechanism mediated by phonons in the weak coupling limit.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Low voltage plasma jet with piezoelectric generator : preliminary evaluation of decontamination capabilities

This paper deals with the proof of concept and the preliminary evaluation of decontamination performances obtained with a plasma jet generated by a piezoelectric transformer. This low voltage supply solution (<10V) is investigated as a plasma jet device, compact and safe solution for the decontamination of medical thermo-sensitive devices. The principle of the piezoelectric generator is presented, followed by the optical spectroscopy of the plasma jet, the protocol conditions for the bactericidal effect observations and finally the reduction rates obtained on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria strains with an argon plasma jet at atmospheric pressure about 2.5W electrical input power