DOI: 10.1063/1.126272. Very high-current-density Nb/AlN/Nb tunnel junctions for low-noise submillimeter mixers

Very high-current-density Nb/AlN/Nb tunnel junctions for low-noise submillimeter mixers

10.1063/1.126272

Crossref journal-article

AIP Publishing

Applied Physics Letters (317)

Abstract

We have fabricated and tested submillimeter-wave superconductor–insulator–superconductor (SIS) mixers using very high-current-density Nb/AlN/Nb tunnel junctions (Jc≈30 kA cm−2). The junctions have low-resistance-area products (RNA≈5.6 Ω μm2), good subgap-to-normal resistance ratios Rsg/RN≈10, and good run-to-run reproducibility. From Fourier transform spectrometer measurements, we infer that ωRNC=1 at 270 GHz. This is a factor of 2.5 improvement over what is generally available with Nb/AlOx/Nb junctions suitable for low-noise mixers. The AlN-barrier junctions are indeed capable of low-noise operation: we measure an uncorrected double-sideband receiver noise temperature of TRX=110 K at 533 GHz for an unoptimized device. In addition to providing wider bandwidth operation at lower frequencies, the AlN-barrier junctions will considerably improve the performance of THz SIS mixers by reducing rf loss in the tuning circuits.

Bibliography

Kawamura, J., Miller, D., Chen, J., Zmuidzinas, J., Bumble, B., LeDuc, H. G., & Stern, J. A. (2000). Very high-current-density Nb/AlN/Nb tunnel junctions for low-noise submillimeter mixers. Applied Physics Letters, 76(15), 2119â2121.

Authors 7

Jonathan Kawamura (first)
David Miller (additional)
Jian Chen (additional)
Jonas Zmuidzinas (additional)
Bruce Bumble (additional)
Henry G. LeDuc (additional)
Jeff A. Stern (additional)

References 12 Referenced 43

{'key': '2024020317533363900_r1'}
10.1109/JQE.1979.1069931 / IEEE J. Quantum Electron. (1979)
10.1103/RevModPhys.57.1055 / Rev. Mod. Phys. (1985)
10.1063/1.115915 / Appl. Phys. Lett. (1996)
10.1063/1.125522 / Appl. Phys. Lett. (1999)
10.1063/1.109697 / Appl. Phys. Lett. (1993)
10.1103/PhysRevLett.72.1738 / Phys. Rev. Lett. (1994)
10.1109/77.403049 / IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. (1995)
10.1109/22.508648 / IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech. (1996)
{'key': '2024020317533363900_r10'}
10.1109/22.285084 / IEEE Trans. Microwave Theory Tech. (1994)
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Dates

Type	When
Created	23 years ago (July 26, 2002, 9:36 a.m.)
Deposited	1 year, 6 months ago (Feb. 3, 2024, 12:53 p.m.)
Indexed	4 months, 2 weeks ago (April 1, 2025, 7:02 a.m.)
Issued	25 years, 4 months ago (April 10, 2000)
Published	25 years, 4 months ago (April 10, 2000)
Published Print	25 years, 4 months ago (April 10, 2000)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Kawamura_2000, title={Very high-current-density Nb/AlN/Nb tunnel junctions for low-noise submillimeter mixers}, volume={76}, ISSN={1077-3118}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.126272}, DOI={10.1063/1.126272}, number={15}, journal={Applied Physics Letters}, publisher={AIP Publishing}, author={Kawamura, Jonathan and Miller, David and Chen, Jian and Zmuidzinas, Jonas and Bumble, Bruce and LeDuc, Henry G. and Stern, Jeff A.}, year={2000}, month=apr, pages={2119–2121} }

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