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arXiv:cond-mat/0212288 · Applied Physics Letters

Capacitively coupled hot-electron nanobolometer as far-infrared photon counter

Dragoş-Victor Anghel, L. S. Kuzmin

Published Jan 9, 2003• 19 citations
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Abstract

We show theoretically that hot-electron nanobolometers consisting of a small piece of normal metal, capacitively coupled to a superconducting antenna through a pair of normal metal–insulator–superconductor (NIS) tunnel junctions may be used as far-infrared photon counters. To make the device most effective at high counting rates, we suggest the use of the bolometer in the simplest configuration, when the NIS tunnel junctions are used as both an electron cooler and thermometer. The absorbtion of the photon in the normal metal produces a pulse in the electron temperature, which is measured by the NIS junctions. The counter may resolve photons up to 0.3–0.4 mm wavelength and has a typical re-equilibration time constant of about 20 ns.

DOI
10.1063/1.1536728

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Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics Letters•Dec 1, 2003•8 citations
We show theoretically that hot-electron nanobolometers consisting of a small piece of normal metal, capacitively coupled to a superconducting antenna through a pair of normal metal–insulator–superconductor (NIS) tunnel junctions may be used as far-infrared photon counters. To make the device most effective at high counting rates, we suggest the use of the bolometer in the simplest configuration, when the NIS tunnel junctions are used as both an electron cooler and thermometer. The absorbtion of the photon in the normal metal produces a pulse in the electron temperature, which is measured by the NIS junctions. The counter may resolve photons up to 0.3–0.4 mm wavelength and has a typical re-equilibration time constant of about 20 ns.
A capacitively coupled hot-electron nanobolometer (CC-HEB) is the simplest and most effective antenna-coupled bolometer. The bolometer consists of a small absorber connected to the superconducting antenna by tunnel junctions. The tunnel junctions used for high-frequency coupling also give perfect thermal isolation of hot electrons in the small volume of the absorber. The same tunnel junctions are used for temperature measurements and electron cooling. This bolometer does not suffer from the frequency limitations in the submillimeter range due to the high potential barrier of the tunnel junctions as does the microbolometer with Andreev mirrors (A-HEB), which is limited by the superconducting gap. Theoretical analyses show that the two-junction configuration more than doubles the sensitivity of the bolometer in current-biased mode compared to the single-junction configuration used for A-HEB. Another important advantage of CC-HEB is its simple two-layer technology for sample fabrication. Samples were fabricated with an absorber made of a bilayer of Cr and Al to match the impedance of the antenna. Electrodes were made of Al and tunnel junctions were formed over the Al oxide layer. The coupling capacitances of the tunnel junctions, C ≈ 20 fF, in combination with the inductance of the 10 μm absorber create a bandpass filter with a central frequency around 300 GHz. Bolometers are integrated with log-periodic and double-dipole planar antennas made of Au. The temperature response of bolometer structures was measured at temperatures down to 256 mK. In our experiment we observed dV/dT=1.3 mV/K, corresponding to responsivity S=0.2.109 V/W. For amplifier noise Vna=3nV/Hz1/2 at 1 kHz the estimated total noise equivalent power is NEP=1.5.10-17 W/Hz1/2. The intrinsic bolometer self noise Vnbol=0.5 nV/Hz1/2 corresponds to NEP=3.10-18 W/Hz1/2. For microwave evaluation of bolometer sensitivity we used a black body radiation source comprising a thin NiCr stimulator placed on the cold plate of cryostat in front of a CC-HEB attached to an extended hemisphere sapphire lens. This measurements were consistent with estimates based on the dc responsivity of the bolometer.
normal metal strip at low temperatures (so called electron effect) to produce a large A novel concept of the normal-metal hotelectron bolometer using capacitive coupling of the absorber to antenna (NHEB-CC) has been proposed. The concept is based on the normal metal hot-electron microbolometer with Andreev mirrors (NHEB-A) using a SIN junction as a temperature sensor [1-3]. The NHEB-A technology brings a possibility to fabricate the sub-mm wave receiver for space applications with a noise equivalent power NEP about 3x1 0' 8 W/Hz at 100 mK. However, the Andreev mirrors could give certain frequency limitations for using this bolometer for higher frequencies with the energy quantum hf higher than the energy of a superconducting gap A. The NHEB-CC technology with capacitive coupling of the absorber to antenna avoids these problems. The effective high frequency coupling of the external signal in NHEB-CC is achieved by a low impedance of the coupling capacitances. At the same time, the capacitance gives reliable protection against escaping the hot electrons from the absorber. Usual tunnel junctions with proper thickness of the barrier can be used as capacitors. In such realization, we keep the main advantage of the NHEB technology very small thermal conductance between electrons and phonons due to small volume of an absorber (typical value of G is 2x10 W/K for T=100 mK) in combination with frequency independent protection of the absorber against thermal leak to the antenna.
We experimentally demonstrate the high bandwidth readout of a thermometer based on a superconductor–insulator–normal metal (SIN) tunnel junction, embedded in a rf resonant circuit. Our implementation enables basic studies of the thermodynamics of mesoscopic nanostructures. It can also be applied to the development of fast calorimeters, as well as ultrasensitive bolometers for the detection of far-infrared radiation. We discuss the operational details of this device, and estimate the ultimate temperature sensitivity and measurement bandwidth.
As a high-speed and sensitive mid-infrared (MIR) photon detector, we developed a MIR superconducting hot electron bolometer (MIR-HEB). The MIR-HEB consists of a twin-slot MIR-wavelength antenna and a small Nb/NbN superconducting strip located at the antenna's feeding point. To prevent the HEB from latching, a parallel shunt resistor was added. For detector evaluation, a continuous-wave quantum cascade laser with a wavelength of 4.57 μm was used as the source of MIR light. A constant bias current was applied near the HEB critical current during the detector operation. Upon illumination with MIR light, numerous voltage pulses with a width of approximately 4 ns were observed. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the pulse count rates were nearly proportional to the incident power over a two-order magnitude range. We conclude that MIR-HEB achieved MIR photon detection based on this result. Also confirmed were the polarization dependences attributed to the antenna's operation.
Antenna-coupled superconducting tunnel junction detectors have the potential for photon-counting sensitivity at sub-mm wavelengths. The device consists of an antenna structure to couple radiation into a small superconducting volume and cause quasiparticle excitations, and a single-electron transistor to measure currents through tunnel junction contacts to the absorber volume. We will describe optimization of device parameters, and recent results on fabrication techniques for producing devices with high yield for detector arrays. We will also present modeling of expected saturation power levels, antenna coupling, and rf multiplexing schemes.
Normal-metal hot-electron bolometers, each of which contains two superconductor-insulator-normal metal (SIN) junctions for electron cooling and two SIN junctions for temperature measurements, were fabricated and experimentally studied. The electron cooling by SIN junctions is an analog of the Peltier effect and allows one to reduce the effective electron temperature of a bolometer. The electron temperature was determined from the ratio of the differential resistance to normal one for several values of a constant bias. At a phonon temperature of 250 mK, the resistance ratio at zero bias reached 1000, which was close to the theoretical value for an ideal SIN junction. A decrease in the electron temperature from 250 to 90 mK was obtained.