Resistively Shunted NbN/AlN/NbN Tunnel Junctions for Single Flux Quantum Circuits

AbstractWe have developed resistively shunted NbN junctions to realize superconducting single flux quantum circuits operating at 10K and/or high speed. The junctions consist of epitaxial NbN/AlN/NbN tunnel junctions and molybdenum (Mo) resistors fabricated on single-crystal MgO substrates. The junction qualities are systematically investigated in a wide range of critical current density (Jc). The gap voltage and the ratio of Rsg/RN were about 5.6mV and 11 for the junctions with the Jc of 10 kA/cm2, respectively. The overdamped Josephson junctions with parallel Mo resistors having a nominal sheet resistance showed non-hysteretic current-voltage characteristics for the junctions with Jc of 10 kA/cm2

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors with non-periodic dielectric multilayers

We present superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SSPDs) on non-periodic dielectric multilayers, which enable us to design a variety of wavelength dependences of optical absorptance by optimizing the dielectric multilayer. By adopting a robust simulation to optimize the dielectric multilayer, we designed three types of SSPDs with target wavelengths of 500 nm, 800 nm, and telecom range respectively. We fabricated SSPDs based on the optimized designs for 500 and 800 nm, and evaluated the system detection efficiency at various wavelengths. The results obtained confirm that the designed SSPDs with non-periodic dielectric multilayers worked well. This versatile device structure can be effective for multidisciplinary applications in fields such as the life sciences and remote sensing that require high efficiency over a precise spectral range and strong signal rejection at other wavelengths