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IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity

Quantum Roulette Noise Thermometer: Progress and prospects

R.A.M. Lee, L. Hao, D.A. Peden, John C. Gallop, J.C. Macfarlane, Edward J. Romans

Published Mar 1, 2001• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A novel form of primary thermometer called the Quantum Roulette Noise Thermometer (QRNT) has been fabricated and is presently undergoing feasibility studies. This device utilises flux quantisation in a high temperature superconducting ring interrupted by two closely spaced, parallel, Josephson junctions. Several devices have been fabricated and different methods investigated for measuring the statistical distribution of trapped flux states. We report the results of these endeavours with emphasis on a method for suppressing I/sub c/ by applying an r.f. field to the junctions.

DOI
10.1109/77.919480

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A novel form of primary thermometer called the Quantum Roulette Noise Thermometer (QRNT) has been fabricated and is presently undergoing feasibility studies. This device utilises flux quantisation in a high temperature superconducting ring interrupted by two closely spaced, parallel, Josephson junctions. Several devices have been fabricated and different methods investigated for measuring the statistical distribution of trapped flux states. We report the results of these endeavours with emphasis on a method for suppressing I/sub c/ by applying an r.f. field to the junctions.
A novel form of primary thermometer called the quantum roulette noise thermometer (QRNT), based on flux quantization in a high temperature superconducting (HTS) ring, interrupted by a Josephson junction, has been proposed. The basis of the QRNT is that the flux state of the ring is allowed to evolve freely, and is repeatedly interrogated to establish a probability distribution from which the temperature of the device is derived. Unlike other superconductivity-based noise thermometers, this device is essentially dissipationless, requires no input or output connections, and may be remotely interrogated. The QRNT has the potential to provide high accuracy with short measuring times. Prototype QRNT devices based on thin HTS films have been fabricated and results of initial experimental measurements are presented. Parameters of the experimental devices are compared with predictions of the theoretical model.
We describe a cryogenic primary thermometer called the Quantum Roulette Noise Thermometer (QRNT), which is based on flux quantisation in a HTS superconducting ring. The basis of the QRNT is that the flux state of a double junction SQUID ring (in thermal contact with a heat bath whose temperature is to be measured) is allowed to evolve freely. The flux state is repeatedly interrogated to establish a probability distribution from which the absolute temperature may be derived. The QRNT is in principle dissipationless and has the potential to provide high accuracy with short measuring time. The QRNT prototype device which employs a YBCO thin film on an MgO bi-crystal substrate has been designed and fabricated. The superconducting ring of overall dimensions 6 mm/spl times/8 mm is broken by two grain boundary Josephson junctions of size 5 /spl mu/m/spl times/3 /spl mu/m. The state of the junctions is switched between superconducting and resistive by means of small currents applied to a superconducting strip line located near the junctions. A dc SQUID, which is used to read out the flux state of the QRNT ring, is operated at 77 K while the QRNT device can be set at any desired temperature above 10 K. Ongoing experimental measurements are described with reference to the expected theoretical predictions.
The Quantum Roulette Noise Thermometer (QRNT) is a unique type of primary thermometer. Rather than probing a classical thermodynamic variable whose value depends on the average motion of an ensemble of microscopic particles, it makes a series of consecutive measurements of a quantum variable, the flux trapped within a superconducting ring. From the statistical distribution of flux measurements the temperature can be obtained. In principle, the device could operate over a wide range of temperatures, with the upper limit dependent on the superconducting ma- terial chosen for the ring. Its accuracy would be limited by statistical sample size. The QRNT directly addresses the primary objectives of the UK National Measurement System (NMS) Quantum Programme: an NMS based wholly on quantum processes, fundamental constants and the use of portable quantum standards with full primary accuracy. This report reviews preliminary research and assesses the future benefit of QRNT devices to thermal metrology.
The impedance and noise of a resistive superconductive quantum interference device (R-SQUID) have been measured as a function of the dc and rf currents applied to it. The Josephson junction was adjustable so that data were also taken for several values of the junction critical current. The results were compared with the predictions of a resistively shunted junction (RSJ) model which takes into account the influence of the Josephson junction on the impedance and noise. The agreement was found to be quite good and demonstrates that the noise in the circuit is well understood. Use of the R-SQUID as a noise thermometer below 1 K is assessed in terms of corrections due to the RSJ model. It is demonstrated how the dc and rf currents may be adjusted so that the total noise of the R-SQUID is reduced to within 0.1% of the Johnson noise generated by the resistor alone. Under these conditions, the R-SQUID may be used as a noise thermometer to determine thermodynamic temperature to this inaccuracy from 6 to 700 mK.
In quantum technology, several aspects of superconductivity such as proximity effect have studied to develop a wide range of attractive applications at sub-kelvin temperatures. A new type of interferometer based on the proximity effect, taking place around transparent interfaces between normal- and superconducting metals, the Superconducting Quantum Interference Proximity Transistor (SQUIPT), relies on the phase dependence of the density of states in the proximized weak link. The SQUIPT devices offer the possibility to realize sensitive low-dissipation magnetometers compared to conventional DC SQUIDs. In this thesis, we investigate the development of the sensitive SQUIPT magnetometers. The first part of the thesis covers the characterization of non-hysteretic SQUIPTs with enhanced responsivity. In these structures, we demonstrate magnetic flux modulation of the device characteristics displaying no hysteresis at low temperatures by simply increasing the Josephson inductance of the weak link compared to self-inductance of the superconducting loop in the device. As a consequence, improvement in magnetic field responsivity is achievable. We then turn to the implementation of SQUIPT devices based on different fabrication methods and superconductor materials for improving the device performance. In this aspect, we fabricate and characterize niobium-based SNS devices utilizing two separate lithography and deposition steps with strong Ar ion cleaning in between. We further investigate a prototype hybrid SQUIPT device based on an Nb-Cu-Nb SNS junction with a conventional Al probe in tunnel junction. In the third part of the thesis, we present the flux noise characterization of a SQUIPT device using simultaneous measurement of DC transport properties and shot noise. To probe the noise, we use a cryogenic amplifier operating at frequencies in the range of a few MHz. We adapt this technique for flux noise measurements in SQUIPTs, adaptable also to low-temperature shot noise measurements of other nonlinear devices with high impedance. In order to investigate flux noise of SQUIPTs, we develop a model allowing one to optimize the figures of merit of the magnetometers such as the noise-equivalent flux.