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AIP conference proceedings

Excess Noise in Transition Edge Sensors

Edvige Celasco, F. Gatti, Roberto Eggenhöffner, Massimo Macucci, Giovanni Basso

Published Jan 1, 2009• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The experimental excess noise observed in the power spectrum of three selected superconducting transition edge sensors is explained in terms of our correlated avalanche model. The agreement confirms that the excess noise characterized by a wide peak in the spectral frequency dependence originates from the dendritic regime in the superconducting state.

DOI
10.1063/1.3140422

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The experimental excess noise observed in the power spectrum of three selected superconducting transition edge sensors is explained in terms of our correlated avalanche model. The agreement confirms that the excess noise characterized by a wide peak in the spectral frequency dependence originates from the dendritic regime in the superconducting state.
Transition-edge sensors (TESs) are two-dimensional superconducting films utilized as highly sensitive detectors of energy or power. These detectors are voltage biased in the superconducting-normal transition where the film resistance is both finite and a strong function of temperature. Unfortunately, the amount of electrical noise observed in TESs exceeds the predictions of existing noise theories. We describe a possible mechanism for the unexplained excess noise, which we term "mixed-down noise." The source is Johnson noise, which is mixed down to low frequencies by Josephson oscillations in devices with a nonlinear current-voltage relationship. We derive an expression for the power spectral density of this noise and show that its predictions agree with measured data.
We present a detailed analysis of the fundamental noise sources in superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs), ac voltage biased at MHz frequencies and treated as superconducting weak links. We have studied the noise in the resistive transition as a function of bath temperature of several detectors with different normal resistances and geometries. We show that the "excess" noise, typically observed in the TES electrical bandwidth, can be explained by the equilibrium Johnson noise of the quasiparticles generated within the weak link. The fluctuations at the Josephson frequency and higher harmonics contribute significantly to the measured voltage noise at the detector bandwidth through the nonlinear response of the weak link with a sinusoidal current-phase relation.
We are developing superconducting transition-edge bolometers for far-infrared and millimeter wavelengths. The bolometers described here are suspended by thin legs of silicon nitride for thermal isolation. At frequencies between 200 mHz and 10-50 Hz these devices show white noise at their thermal fluctuation limit (NEP approximately 10(-17) W/ radicalHz). At higher frequencies a broad peak appears in the noise spectrum, which we attribute to a combination of thermal fluctuations in complex thermal circuits and electrothermal feedback. Detailed noise calculations fit the noise measured in three different devices that were specifically designed to test the model. We discuss how changes in bolometer materials can shift the noise peak above the frequency range of interest for most applications.
The noise in superconducting transition-edge sensors (TESs) commonly exceeds simple theoretical predictions. The reason for this discrepancy is presently unexplained. We have measured the amplitude and frequency dependence of the noise in TES sensors with eight different geometries. In addition, we have measured the dependence of the noise on operating resistance, perpendicular magnetic field, and bath temperature. We find that the unexplained noise contribution is inversely correlated with the temperature width of the superconducting-to-normal transition and is reduced by a perpendicular field and in certain geometries. These results suggest paths to improved sensor performance.
The current noise at the output of a microcalorimeter with a voltage biased superconducting transition edge thermometer is studied in detail. In addition to the two well-known noise sources: thermal fluctuation noise from the heat link to the bath and Johnson noise from the resistive thermometer, a third noise source strongly correlated with the steepness of the thermometer is required to fit the measured noise spectra. Thermal fluctuation noise, originating in the thermometer itself, fully explains the additional noise. A simple model provides quantitative agreement between the observed and calculated noise spectra for all bias points in the superconducting transition.