Background-limited superconducting quantum detector for submillimeter astronomy

Alexei Semenov; Andreas Engel; Heinz-Wilhelm Huebers; Konstantin II'in; Michael Siegel

doi:10.1117/12.459180

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17 February 2003 Background limited superconducting quantum detector for submillimeter astronomy

Alexei Semenov, Andreas Engel, Heinz-Wilhelm Huebers, Konstantin II'in, Michael Siegel

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Proceedings Volume 4855, Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors for Astronomy; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459180
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

We extend the concept of the superconducting quantum counter in order to develop a new quantum detector for submillimeter astronomy. The detector exploits a cumulative detection mechanism, in which the response appears due to successive formation of the normal spot and a resistive domain in a narrow strip carrying sub-critical supercurrent. The intrinsic recovery time of the counter is partly determined by diffusion of nonequilibrium electrons and, thus, depends on the energy of detected photons. Depending on the superconducting material used and operation conditions, such detector may have cut-off wavelengths for the single-photon regime ranging from terahertz waves to visible light and simultaneously provide a moderate energy resolution. We simulated performance of the background-limited submillimeter direct detector from Ti having the 100-micrometer cut-off wavelength, low dark count rate and intrinsic 10^-21W Hz-^1/2 noise equivalent power for 4-K background radiation. We present first results obtained with a detector prototype fabricated from ultra-thin Nb film.

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Alexei Semenov, Andreas Engel, Heinz-Wilhelm Huebers, Konstantin II'in, and Michael Siegel "Background limited superconducting quantum detector for submillimeter astronomy", Proc. SPIE 4855, Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors for Astronomy, (17 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459180

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