Low Power Superconducting Microwave Applications and Microwave Microscopy

We briefly review some non-accelerator high-frequency applications of superconductors. These include the use of high-Tc superconductors in front-end band-pass filters in cellular telephone base stations, the High Temperature Superconductor Space Experiment, and high-speed digital electronics. We also present an overview of our work on a novel form of near-field scanning microscopy at microwave frequencies. This form of microscopy can be used to investigate the microwave properties of metals and dielectrics on length scales as small as 1 mm. With this microscope we have demonstrated quantitative imaging of sheet resistance and topography at microwave frequencies. An examination of the local microwave response of the surface of a heat-treated bulk Nb sample is also presented.Comment: 11 pages, including 6 figures. Presented at the Eight Workshop on RF Superconductivity. To appear in Particle Accelerator

Near-Field Scanning Microwave Microscopy: Measuring Local Microwave Properties and Electric Field Distributions

We describe the near-field microwave microscopy of microwave devices on a length scale much smaller than the wavelength used for imaging. Our microscope can be operated in two possible configurations, allowing a quantitative study of either material properties or local electric fields.Comment: 4 pages, 8 figures, minor corrections to text and 2 figure

Near-Field Microwave Microscopy of Materials Properties

Near-field microwave microscopy has created the opportunity for a new class of electrodynamics experiments of materials. Freed from the constraints of traditional microwave optics, experiments can be carried out at high spatial resolution over a broad frequency range. In addition, the measurements can be done quantitatively so that images of microwave materials properties can be created. We review the five major types of near-field microwave microscopes and discuss our own form of microscopy in detail. Quantitative images of microwave sheet resistance, dielectric constant, and dielectric tunability are presented and discussed. Future prospects for near-field measurements of microwave electrodynamic properties are also presented.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures, lecture given at the 1999 NATO ASI on Microwave Superconductivity Changes suggested by editor, including full reference

Frequency Following Imaging of Electric Fields from Resonant Superconducting Devices using a Scanning Near-Field Microwave Microscope

We have developed a scanning near-field microwave microscope that operates at cryogenic temperatures. Our system uses an open-ended coaxial probe with a 200 mm inner conductor diameter and operates from 77 to 300 K in the 0.01-20 GHz frequency range. In this paper, we present microwave images of the electric field distribution above a Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 microstrip resonator at 77 K, measured at several heights. In addition, we describe the use of a frequency-following circuit to study the influence of the probe on the resonant frequency of the device.Comment: 4 pages, postscript file with 6 figures conference proceeding for the Applied Superconductivity Conference 199

Superconducting Material Diagnostics using a Scanning Near-Field Microwave Microscope

We have developed scanning near-field microwave microscopes which can image electrodynamic properties of superconducting materials on length scales down to about 2 $\mu$m. The microscopes are capable of quantitative imaging of sheet resistance of thin films, and surface topography. We demonstrate the utility of the microscopes through images of the sheet resistance of a YBa2Cu3O7-d thin film wafer, images of bulk Nb surfaces, and spatially resolved measurements of Tc of a YBa2Cu3O7-d thin film. We also discuss some of the limitations of the microscope and conclude with a summary of its present capabilities.Comment: 6 pages with 9 figures, Proceedings of the Applied Superconductivity Conference 199

Quantitative imaging of dielectric permittivity and tunability with a near-field scanning microwave microscope

We describe the use of a near-field scanning microwave microscope to image the permittivity and tunability of bulk and thin film dielectric samples on a length scale of about 1 micron. The microscope is sensitive to the linear permittivity, as well as to nonlinear dielectric terms, which can be measured as a function of an applied electric field. We introduce a versatile finite element model for the system, which allows quantitative results to be obtained. We demonstrate use of the microscope at 7.2 GHz with a 370 nm thick barium strontium titanate thin film on a lanthanum aluminate substrate. This technique is nondestructive and has broadband (0.1-50 GHz) capability. The sensitivity of the microscope to changes in relative permittivity is 2 at permittivity = 500, while the nonlinear dielectric tunability sensitivity is 10^-3 cm/kV.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Rev. Sci. Instrum., July, 200

Direct observation of the phonon energy in a Bose-Einstein condensate by tomographic imaging

The momentum and energy of phonons in a Bose-Einstein condensate are measured directly from a time-of-flight image by computerized tomography. We find that the same atoms that carry the momentum of the excitation also carry the excitation energy. The measured energy is in agreement with the Bogoliubov spectrum. Hydrodynamic simulations are performed which confirm our observation.Comment: Letter, 5 figure