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Quantum Giaever Detectors: STJ's.

Authors :
Ascheron, Claus E.
Kölsch, Hans J.
Skolaut, Werner
Enss, Christian
Lerch, P.
Zehnder, A.
Source :
Cryogenic Particle Detection; 2005, p217-266, 50p
Publication Year :
2005

Abstract

Solid state detectors rely on the interaction of energy with matter. The absorbed energy from for example, a charged particle, a photon or a phonon is degraded and shared among a number of electronic, thermal and/or magnetic excitations. Quantum Giaever detectors are usually called super-conducting tunneling junction devices, in short STJ's by the community. In these devices, energy is absorbed in a metallic electrode in its super-conducting state. The energy breaks Cooper pairs and an "excess" number of electronic excitations, called quasi-particles is created. The number of these quasi-particles is a measure of the energy absorbed in the electrode which can be determined in a tunneling experiment. The sensitivity is sufficient to perform 1 eV photon counting. In this review we describe the physical processes governing the creation, loss and collection of quasi-particles in an STJ used as photon sensor. We shall first emphasize the importance of device parameters on the quasi-particle creation efficiency. In the second part we focus on the physical processes and device parameters affecting the quasi-particle collection efficiency. Intrinsic and experimental noise sources are discussed in separate sections. Finally, we attempt to browse a portrait of the line of development followed in different laboratories during the last decade or so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISBNs :
9783540201137
Database :
Supplemental Index
Journal :
Cryogenic Particle Detection
Publication Type :
Book
Accession number :
32912387
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/10933596_5