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IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

Superconducting kinetic inductance bolometer

Joseph E. Sauvageau, Donald G. McDonald

Published Mar 1, 1989• 26 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The authors are developing a bolometer with a temperature sensor based on the temperature dependence of the inductance of a superconducting microstrip line. As a first step in exploring this idea experimentally, they have designed experiments to test only the temperature sensor. The experimental devices are all-niobium inductance thermometers fabricated on silicon substrates which have been deeply etched to provide areas of relative thermal isolation. The ground plane superconductor is thin enough so that its kinetic inductance dominates the audio frequency impedance of the stripline near its critical temperature, at 0.9 T/sub c/. This differential thermometer uses a commercial SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) as the preamplifier. Preliminary results demonstrate a proof-of-principle for the thermometer design. An important quality factor for this type of measurement system is the depth of the null. The authors achieved a high value of 0.4*10/sup -6/, which is satisfying for a first try.>

DOI
10.1109/20.92541

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The authors are developing a bolometer with a temperature sensor based on the temperature dependence of the inductance of a superconducting microstrip line. As a first step in exploring this idea experimentally, they have designed experiments to test only the temperature sensor. The experimental devices are all-niobium inductance thermometers fabricated on silicon substrates which have been deeply etched to provide areas of relative thermal isolation. The ground plane superconductor is thin enough so that its kinetic inductance dominates the audio frequency impedance of the stripline near its critical temperature, at 0.9 T/sub c/. This differential thermometer uses a commercial SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) as the preamplifier. Preliminary results demonstrate a proof-of-principle for the thermometer design. An important quality factor for this type of measurement system is the depth of the null. The authors achieved a high value of 0.4*10/sup -6/, which is satisfying for a first try.>
Inductance plays a crucial role in the design and optimization of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) for quantum sensing applications, since it dictates the sensitivity and coupling ratio with other circuit elements. In high-temperature superconductors the kinetic inductance, which depends on both geometry and temperature, becomes a dominant part of the device's total self-inductance, since their London penetration depth is considerably larger compared to low-temperature superconductors. In this work, we use an asymmetric SQUID to investigate the kinetic self-inductance ratio and voltage modulation depth at different operating temperatures, device geometries and bias currents. We first validate our approach by comparing our modelled data with experimental measurements. Then, through numerical simulations, we show: (i) kinetic inductance dominates for thin superconducting films, while for thicker films the inductance is less sensitive to temperature changes; (ii) the voltage modulation depth decreases exponentially with the total inductance independent of the asymmetry ratio; (iii) narrower superconducting tracks lead to a broader temperature operation range, ΔT∼30KΔT \sim 30 KΔT∼30K, while wider tracks operate in a smaller temperature range, ΔT∼10KΔT \sim 10 KΔT∼10K, but are more sensitive to temperature changes; and (iv) the device performance versus temperature strongly depends on the bias current used.
Extremely sensitive far-infrared detectors suitable for both direct detection and heterodyne applications, based on mu m-sized thin films with thickness less than a superconducting penetration depth are possible. The penetration depth of such a film, and therefore its inductance, varies with temperature and with quasiparticle population (described by an effective temperature T*), resulting in both bolometric and nonequilibrium photoinductive responses. Incident radiation is coupled into the small-area kinetic inductor by a lithographic antenna, and the resulting inductance changes are amplified and converted to a voltage signal by an integrated microstrip DC SQUID. The device is sensitive because, unlike junction-based devices with large capacitive reactances, the kinetic inductor is naturally well matched to the antenna impedance at the far-IR frequency ( nu >2 Delta /h) and to the preamplifier (SQUID) impedance at microwave or video frequencies ( nu <<2 Delta /h). The best kinetic inductor materials are those with low electronic mean free path, large penetration depth, and high critical current density. Thus, common magnet alloys such as NbTi are the natural choice for liquid-He temperature operation. A detailed analysis predicts a (phonon-limited) NEP of 4*10/sup -17/ W/ square root Hz for a bolometer with an iridium kinetic inductor operated at 0.1 K. A heterodyne noise temperature of 2250 K (single-sideband) at 3 THz, with a 200-MHz bandwidth, is predicted for a Nb-Ti mixer operated at 4 K.
We present a model of the response of superconducting AC bolometers to signal and noise using parameters and matrix formalism that were previously adopted in modeling DC bolometers and microcalorimeters. The model was developed to investigate novel AC bolometer designs, which have properties not described by previous models. It is applicable to kinetic inductance devices, kinetic inductance thermometers, AC transition edge sensors, and other technologies based on AC read out and frequency mixing. The AC bolometer model includes the temperature and current dependence of both resistive and inductive bolometers and microcalorimeters. The bolometers may be thermal or athermal. The model compactly describes the complex relationships between electrical and thermal signals and it simplifies the associated calculations. This model is useful for characterizing bolometers, predicting the effects of various noise sources on performance and designing new detectors. Additionally, a measurement technique is developed for characterizing these devices.
Superconducting microstrip, with phase velocities of about 0.01c, employing kinetic inductance have been fabricated using niobium nitride and a silicon dielectric. Delay lines using this phenomenon have several advantages for analog signal processing, including low loss and very compact size. Measurements of kinetic inductance microstrip delay lines were made in the frequency domain and the time domain. The results were compared to theoretical predictions and an accurate circuit model was developed. The circuit model was used to determine the frequency- and temperature-dependent losses of the delay line.
We have designed, fabricated, and tested a frequency-tunable high-Q superconducting resonator made from a niobium titanium nitride film. The frequency tunability is achieved by injecting a DC through a current-directing circuit into the nonlinear inductor whose kinetic inductance is current-dependent. We have demonstrated continuous tuning of the resonance frequency in a 180 MHz frequency range around 4.5 GHz while maintaining the high internal quality factor Qi > 180 000. This device may serve as a tunable filter and find applications in superconducting quantum computing and measurement. It also provides a useful tool to study the nonlinear response of a superconductor. In addition, it may be developed into techniques for measurement of the complex impedance of a superconductor at its transition temperature and for readout of transition-edge sensors.