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IEEE Transactions on Magnetics

Quiteron

S. M. Faris, Stanley I. Raider, W. J. Gallagher, R.E. Drake

Published May 1, 1983• 71 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The QUITERON is the first three terminal superconducting switch possessing true transistor-like characteristics as well as ultra-low switching energy. Its action is based on non-equilibrium superconductivity in the regime of heavy external and self injection of quasiparticles leading to gap suppression. Experimental confirmation of the operating principle is presented, including the demonstration of large signal power gain, high switching speed, as well as other digital and analog transistor-like features.

DOI
10.1109/tmag.1983.1062499

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The QUITERON is the first three terminal superconducting switch possessing true transistor-like characteristics as well as ultra-low switching energy. Its action is based on non-equilibrium superconductivity in the regime of heavy external and self injection of quasiparticles leading to gap suppression. Experimental confirmation of the operating principle is presented, including the demonstration of large signal power gain, high switching speed, as well as other digital and analog transistor-like features.
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Interest in superconducting transistors is due to some potential benefits of these devices, such as the possibility to have large current gain and bandwidth at low temperatures. In this work we present experimental results concerning with a new superconducting 3-terminal device showing true transistor-like properties at T=4.2K. It is a stacked double tunnel junction structure where the intermediate film is a bilayer of superconducting Nb with an Al quasiparticle trap which can be either in the superconducting or in the normal metal state. Current amplification factors of up to 2.0 are observed at a temperature of 4.2 K when the Al is superconducting. When the Al is in the normal state, large current gains of more than 50 are observed. The operation is highly directional, i.e. practically no effect is observed when the roles of the injector and detector junctions are reversed. The results are explained according to the recently proposed QUAsiparticle TRApping TRANnsistor model.
In this paper we discuss some general features of three terminal superconducting devices which operate on the basis of superconducting energy gap suppression by quasiparticle injection. These features include latching behavior at greater than unity power gain and, in the conventional three layer sandwich geometry, a rather long device switching time. We then describe three terminal gap suppression experiments carried out with the use of a double edge junction geometry. The problems of obtaining large gain in this higher speed geometry are discussed. Finally, we point out that these problems are alleviated by using the gap suppression effect to switch a supercurrent biased junction rather than to modify the quasiparticle I-V curve.
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