Superconducting tunnel junctions as photon-counting detectors

Phillipp Huebner; Nicola Rando; Anthony J. Peacock; P. H. Videler; Axel van Dordrecht; John M. Lumley

doi:10.1117/12.162844

19 November 1993 Superconducting tunnel junctions as photon-counting detectors

Phillipp Huebner, Nicola Rando, Anthony J. Peacock, P. H. Videler, Axel van Dordrecht, John M. Lumley

Proceedings Volume 2006, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy IV; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.162844
Event: SPIE's 1993 International Symposium on Optics, Imaging, and Instrumentation, 1993, San Diego, CA, United States

Abstract

An experimental analysis of Niobium based superconducting tunnel junctions is presented, evaluating their performance as photon counting detectors. Several mechanism are found to be responsible for the degradation of the energy resolution. In particular, the high magnetic fields necessary to suppress the Josephson current in square junctions are shown to smear the energy bandgap. It is experimentally verified that in junctions with special geometries the Josephson current can be sufficiently suppressed by much lower fields. Several loss and contamination mechanisms are also discussed. Experimental results on new developments, such as quasiparticle trapping blocks, source collimation and substrate buffering, are presented, with a view to demonstrating significant improvements in energy resolution.

Citation Download Citation

Phillipp Huebner, Nicola Rando, Anthony J. Peacock, P. H. Videler, Axel van Dordrecht, and John M. Lumley "Superconducting tunnel junctions as photon-counting detectors", Proc. SPIE 2006, EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy IV, (19 November 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.162844

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