TY - GEN
T1 - High-energy-resolution x-ray detection using multilayered superconducting tunnel junctions
AU - Rippert, Edward D.
AU - Song, Shenian N.
AU - Maglic, Stevan R.
AU - Lomatch, Susanne
AU - Wang, Jennifer F.
AU - Chen, Jun
AU - Thomas, Christopher
AU - Ketterson, John B.
AU - Ulmer, Melville P.
PY - 1994
Y1 - 1994
N2 - Superconducting tunnel junctions have a potential, statistically limited, energy resolution on the order of eV's. The best results to date, however, have been an order of magnitude worse than this and required operating temperatures on the order of 0.1 K. Niobium based junctions operating at approximately 1 K have shown X-ray detection capabilities, but have only achieved energy resolutions on the order of 100 eV's at best. Several mechanisms, including quasiparticle self trapping, loss of `hot' excitations, quasiparticle recombination, and loss of `cold' excitations, have been proposed to explain the degradation of energy resolution in these devices. We will present a design concept for an X-ray detector, along with recent experimental and computer modeling results, based on a 1D superlattice of superconducting tunnel junctions. This multilayered superconducting tunnel junction design has the potential for alleviating many of the potential resolution degrading mechanisms while operating in the 1 K temperature range. In addition, the possibility of engineering the device to improve the signal to noise ratio of the output and to control the transport of phonons in the structure will be discussed.
AB - Superconducting tunnel junctions have a potential, statistically limited, energy resolution on the order of eV's. The best results to date, however, have been an order of magnitude worse than this and required operating temperatures on the order of 0.1 K. Niobium based junctions operating at approximately 1 K have shown X-ray detection capabilities, but have only achieved energy resolutions on the order of 100 eV's at best. Several mechanisms, including quasiparticle self trapping, loss of `hot' excitations, quasiparticle recombination, and loss of `cold' excitations, have been proposed to explain the degradation of energy resolution in these devices. We will present a design concept for an X-ray detector, along with recent experimental and computer modeling results, based on a 1D superlattice of superconducting tunnel junctions. This multilayered superconducting tunnel junction design has the potential for alleviating many of the potential resolution degrading mechanisms while operating in the 1 K temperature range. In addition, the possibility of engineering the device to improve the signal to noise ratio of the output and to control the transport of phonons in the structure will be discussed.
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U2 - 10.1117/12.179163
DO - 10.1117/12.179163
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:0028739174
SN - 0819414522
SN - 9780819414526
T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
SP - 300
EP - 311
BT - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
PB - Publ by Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers
T2 - Superconducting Superlattices and Multilayers
Y2 - 24 January 1994 through 25 January 1994
ER -