Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz)

Superconducting Josephson Cantilevers for THz Microscopy

Marco Tollkühn, Benedikt Hampel, Ilya Elenskiy, Meinhard Schilling

Published Nov 8, 2020• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Josephson cantilevers based on superconducting Josephson junctions can be used for the measurement of frequency and power of microwave and terahertz radiation. For this, Josephson junctions made from the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7are deployed on MgO bicrystal substrates. These Josephson cantilevers are utilized as detectors in our THz microscope. An adjustable current is injected into the junction and the current-voltage characteristic is recorded to derive the frequency and the power of an external radiation from the characteristic. To achieve spatial resolution with the THz microscope, the Josephson cantilever is mounted on a three-dimensional positioning system.

DOI
10.1109/irmmw-thz46771.2020.9370569

Related papers

Characterization of 40 GHz and 762 GHz sources with superconducting Josephson cantilevers in a THz microscope

Marco Tollkühn, Ilya Elenskiy, Benedikt Hampel +1 more

Josephson cantilevers, based on high temperature superconducting Josephson junctions, are versatile detectors for the measurement of frequency and power of microwave and terahertz radiation. A Josephson cantilever consists of at least one Josephson junction, which is equipped with an antenna structure for better coupling. The Josephson junctions, made from the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7, are deployed on LaAIO3or MgO bicrystal substrates. Four feedlines are used to carry out four-terminal sensing. The THz microscope was developed, to allow three dimensional measurements [1]. In this measurement setup, the Josephson cantilever is mounted on a 15 × 15 × 15 mm3positioning system inside a vacuum chamber. The Josephson cantilever is cooled by a cryocooler that allows operating temperatures down to 30 K. A triangular current is injected into the junction and the current-voltage characteristic is recorded at each spatial point. The frequency and the power of the external radiation can be determined from the recorded data by evaluating the occurring Shapiro steps using Hilbert spectroscopy [2]. When the Josephson cantilever is irradiated with more than one frequency at a time, it behaves as a frequency mixer, due to its nonlinear current-voltage characteristic. In this work, we investigated the mixing of 40 GHz and 762 GHz signals with the THz microscope.

IEEE International Superconductive Electronics Conference (ISEC)•Jul 1, 2019•0 citations

Broadband THz detection by high-Tc Josephson junctions

Yu. Ya. Divin, Valery V. Pavlovskiy, D.A. Tkachev +3 more

Detection of THz radiation by YBa2Cu3O7-xJosephson bicrystal junctions with high characteristic voltages IcRnup to 8 mV has been studied. The high-resistance junctions have demonstrated a classical detection of radiation with frequencies up to terahertz range. It was shown by numerical simulations, that the values of noise equivalent power NEP-15W/Hz1/2can be reached at the frequencies up to 1.5 THz at junction temperature of 30 K.

International Conference on Infrared, Millimeter, and Terahertz Waves (IRMMW-THz)•Sep 1, 2006•1 citation

YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 Josephson junctions on LaAlO3 bicrystals for terahertz-frequency applications

A. Kaestner, M. Volk, Frank Ludwig +2 more

We prepared Josephson junctions made of YBa2Cu3O7 on symmetric 24° LaAlO3 bicrystal substrates. For better coupling of high-frequency radiation, we structured the contacts with logarithmic-periodic antennas made of YBa2Cu3O7. Characterization was done by measuring the voltage–current characteristics to determine the critical current IC, the normal-state resistance RN, the noise parameter Γ, and the Stewart–McCumber parameter βC as predicted by the resistively and capactively shunted junction model (RCSJ). The junctions showed excellent RCSJ-like behavior with ICRN products of up to 2.0 mV at 10 K and 220 μV at 77 K. To demonstrate the possibility to detect high-frequency radiation up to the THz regime, we used the Josephson junction as a detector for radiation from a far-infrared laser and we reconstructed the spectra by Hilbert spectroscopy.

Applied Physics Letters•Nov 6, 2000•23 citations

Terahertz frequency metrology based on high-TcJosephson junctions

J Chen, Hirokazu Horiguchi, H B Wang +3 more

Using YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 /MgO bicrystal Josephson junctions operating between 6–77 K, we have studied their responses to monochromatic electromagnetic radiation from 50 GHz to 4.25 THz. We have obtained direct detections for radiation at 70 K from 50 GHz to 760 GHz and at 40 K from 300 GHz to 3.1 THz. This indicates that fast detectors can be realized to cover the 10:1 frequency band at one operation temperature, and about 100:1 can be covered by operating only one junction at two different temperatures. Both the highest response frequency and the maximum value of the normalized response are shown to be proportional to the I C R N product of the junction, where I C and R N are the critical current and the normal resistance of the junction, respectively.

Superconductor Science and Technology•Nov 21, 2002•15 citations

THz Radiation Measurement with HTSC Josephson Junction Detector Matched to Planar Antenna

Eldad Holdengreber, Aviv Glezer Moshe, S. E. Schacham +3 more

Superconducting Josephson junctions have major advantages as detectors of millimeter wave radiation. Frequency of the radiation can be easily derived from the Shapiro steps of the current-voltage characteristics. However, system performance is highly sensitive to impedance mismatch between the antenna and the junction; therefore, optimization is essential. We analyzed and implemented an improved antenna structure, in which the junction is displaced from the antenna center and placed between the ends of two matching strips. Based on theoretical analysis and advanced electromagnetic simulations, we optimized strip dimensions, which affect both the detection magnitude and the frequency of the reflection coefficient dip. Accordingly, two Au bow-tie antennas with different matching strip widths were fabricated. Superconducting Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) thin films were deposited exactly at the bicrystal substrate misorientation points, forming Josephson junctions at the ends of two matching strips. We found a very high correlation between the simulations and the response to Radio Frequency (RF) radiation in the range of 145–165 GHz. Experimental results agree extremely well with the design, showing best performance of both antennas around the frequency for which impedance matching was derived.

Applied Sciences•Sep 17, 2020•7 citations

Frequency-Locked Submillimeter Wave Generation from Josephson Junction Arrays

Insang Song, Kwang‐Yong Kang, Gwangseo Park

We fabricated a Josephson junction array with an additional inductive coupling line to detect the high frequency and power of Josephson self-radiation. The YBa2Cu3O y Josephson junctions are fabricated by a pulsed laser deposition method on bicrystal MgO substrates. We measured the submillimeter wave and the Josephson self-radiation power in an external waveguide system. The Josephson junction arrays showed the resistively shunted junction (RSJ)-like current–voltage characteristics and good frequency-locking of Josephson self-radiation. As the number of Josephson junctions increased, the maximum detected power was increased. We observed the maximum frequency of above 6 THz for Josephson self-radiation in the array with 11 Josephson junctions from the Shapiro steps under 22 GHz irradiation.

Japanese Journal of Applied Physics•Jan 1, 1999•5 citations
Josephson cantilevers based on superconducting Josephson junctions can be used for the measurement of frequency and power of microwave and terahertz radiation. For this, Josephson junctions made from the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7are deployed on MgO bicrystal substrates. These Josephson cantilevers are utilized as detectors in our THz microscope. An adjustable current is injected into the junction and the current-voltage characteristic is recorded to derive the frequency and the power of an external radiation from the characteristic. To achieve spatial resolution with the THz microscope, the Josephson cantilever is mounted on a three-dimensional positioning system.
Josephson cantilevers, based on high temperature superconducting Josephson junctions, are versatile detectors for the measurement of frequency and power of microwave and terahertz radiation. A Josephson cantilever consists of at least one Josephson junction, which is equipped with an antenna structure for better coupling. The Josephson junctions, made from the high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7, are deployed on LaAIO3or MgO bicrystal substrates. Four feedlines are used to carry out four-terminal sensing. The THz microscope was developed, to allow three dimensional measurements [1]. In this measurement setup, the Josephson cantilever is mounted on a 15 × 15 × 15 mm3positioning system inside a vacuum chamber. The Josephson cantilever is cooled by a cryocooler that allows operating temperatures down to 30 K. A triangular current is injected into the junction and the current-voltage characteristic is recorded at each spatial point. The frequency and the power of the external radiation can be determined from the recorded data by evaluating the occurring Shapiro steps using Hilbert spectroscopy [2]. When the Josephson cantilever is irradiated with more than one frequency at a time, it behaves as a frequency mixer, due to its nonlinear current-voltage characteristic. In this work, we investigated the mixing of 40 GHz and 762 GHz signals with the THz microscope.
We prepared Josephson junctions made of YBa2Cu3O7 on symmetric 24° LaAlO3 bicrystal substrates. For better coupling of high-frequency radiation, we structured the contacts with logarithmic-periodic antennas made of YBa2Cu3O7. Characterization was done by measuring the voltage–current characteristics to determine the critical current IC, the normal-state resistance RN, the noise parameter Γ, and the Stewart–McCumber parameter βC as predicted by the resistively and capactively shunted junction model (RCSJ). The junctions showed excellent RCSJ-like behavior with ICRN products of up to 2.0 mV at 10 K and 220 μV at 77 K. To demonstrate the possibility to detect high-frequency radiation up to the THz regime, we used the Josephson junction as a detector for radiation from a far-infrared laser and we reconstructed the spectra by Hilbert spectroscopy.
Using YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 /MgO bicrystal Josephson junctions operating between 6–77 K, we have studied their responses to monochromatic electromagnetic radiation from 50 GHz to 4.25 THz. We have obtained direct detections for radiation at 70 K from 50 GHz to 760 GHz and at 40 K from 300 GHz to 3.1 THz. This indicates that fast detectors can be realized to cover the 10:1 frequency band at one operation temperature, and about 100:1 can be covered by operating only one junction at two different temperatures. Both the highest response frequency and the maximum value of the normalized response are shown to be proportional to the I C R N product of the junction, where I C and R N are the critical current and the normal resistance of the junction, respectively.
Superconducting Josephson junctions have major advantages as detectors of millimeter wave radiation. Frequency of the radiation can be easily derived from the Shapiro steps of the current-voltage characteristics. However, system performance is highly sensitive to impedance mismatch between the antenna and the junction; therefore, optimization is essential. We analyzed and implemented an improved antenna structure, in which the junction is displaced from the antenna center and placed between the ends of two matching strips. Based on theoretical analysis and advanced electromagnetic simulations, we optimized strip dimensions, which affect both the detection magnitude and the frequency of the reflection coefficient dip. Accordingly, two Au bow-tie antennas with different matching strip widths were fabricated. Superconducting Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) thin films were deposited exactly at the bicrystal substrate misorientation points, forming Josephson junctions at the ends of two matching strips. We found a very high correlation between the simulations and the response to Radio Frequency (RF) radiation in the range of 145–165 GHz. Experimental results agree extremely well with the design, showing best performance of both antennas around the frequency for which impedance matching was derived.
We fabricated a Josephson junction array with an additional inductive coupling line to detect the high frequency and power of Josephson self-radiation. The YBa2Cu3O y Josephson junctions are fabricated by a pulsed laser deposition method on bicrystal MgO substrates. We measured the submillimeter wave and the Josephson self-radiation power in an external waveguide system. The Josephson junction arrays showed the resistively shunted junction (RSJ)-like current–voltage characteristics and good frequency-locking of Josephson self-radiation. As the number of Josephson junctions increased, the maximum detected power was increased. We observed the maximum frequency of above 6 THz for Josephson self-radiation in the array with 11 Josephson junctions from the Shapiro steps under 22 GHz irradiation.