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IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

Superconductive tunneling devices as millimeter wave photon detectors

John R. Tucker, Michael F. Millea

Published Jan 1, 1979• 10 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A quantum generalization of microwave mixer theory predicts that superconductive tunneling devices may be employed as ultrasensitive low noise photon detectors at millimeter wave frequencies.
DOI
10.1109/tmag.1979.1060184

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We report operation of superconductor-insulator-superconductor quasiparticle tunnel junctions as mixers and detectors at millimeter wavelengths. The voltage scale of the nonlinearity in the I-V curve of such junctions can be small enough that classical device theory breaks down. Calculations based on photon assisted tunneling theory are then necessary to understand the observed performance. The performance predicted in this novel regime is sufficiently good that practical applications appear very promising. The best mixer result observed at 36 GHz is a double side-band mixer noise temperature Tm≤ 7 K which is about 4 times the photon noise limited value of hv/k. When operated as a direct detector, a current responsivity of 3,500 A/W was observed. This is half the quantum limited value e/hv, which corresponds to one tunneling electron for each incident microwave photon. The best observed NEP was 3 × 10-16W√Hz.

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Single-particle (quasi-particle) tunneling through an insulating barrier between two superconductors or between a superconductor and a normal conductor is being used to make very-low-noise detectors and mixers for millimeter wavelengths. The nonlinearity of theI-Vcurve obtained from tunneling between two superconductors can be so strong that classical theory breaks down and photon-assisted tunneling theory must be used to understand device performance. Quantum theory predicts that a quasi-particle tunnel junction can be operated as a microwave photon detector with quantum efficiency close to unity or as a heterodyne mixer with conversion gain and with mixer noise temperature comparable with the quantum noise limitT_{M} =\bar{h}\omega/k. Both of these predictions have been experimentally realized at 36 GHz using superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junctions. It appears probable that these quasi-particle detectors and mixers will supercede the corresponding Josephson-effect devices at millimeter wavelengths.
Single particle (quasiparticle) tunneling through an insulating barrier between two superconductors or between a superconductor and a normal conductor is being used to make very low noise detectors and mixers for millimeter wavelengths. The nonlinearity of the I-V curve obtained from tunneling between two superconductors can be so strong that classical theory breaks down and photon assisted tunneling theory must be used to understand device performance. Quantum theory predicts that a quasiparticle tunnel junction can be operated as a microwave photon detector with quantum efficiency close to unity or as a heterodyne mixer with conversion gain and with mixer noise temperature comparable with the quantum noise limit T sub M = h omega/k. Both of these predictions have been experimentally realized at 36GHz using superconductor-insulator-superconductor junctions. It appears probable that these quasiparticle detectors and mixers will supercede the corresponding Josephson effect devices at millimeter wavelengths. (Author)
Quasiparticle and Josephson tunneling currents in superconducting tunnel junctions provide nonlinear low-noise response up to terahertz frequencies. Many types of direct detector heterodyne mixer and parametric amplifier based on these effects have been explored. Only the SIS quasiparticle mixer has been sufficiently competitive to find significant applications. These mixers can have noise approaching the quantum limit TN = ℏω/k and gain larger than 10 dB. They are used at a number of observatories for molecular line radio astronomy at millimeter wavelengths. Similar applications at submillimeter wavelengths are beginning.
We report operation of superconductor-insulator-superconductor quasiparticle tunnel junctions as mixers and detectors at millimeter wavelengths. The voltage scale of the nonlinearity in the I-V curve of such junctions can be small enough that classical device theory breaks down. Calculations based on photon assisted tunneling theory are then necessary to understand the observed performance. The performance predicted in this novel regime is sufficiently good that practical applications appear very promising. The best mixer result observed at 36 GHz is a double side-band mixer noise temperature Tm≤ 7 K which is about 4 times the photon noise limited value of hv/k. When operated as a direct detector, a current responsivity of 3,500 A/W was observed. This is half the quantum limited value e/hv, which corresponds to one tunneling electron for each incident microwave photon. The best observed NEP was 3 × 10-16W√Hz.