0000000000430747
AUTHOR
M. M. Leivo
showing 9 related works from this author
Efficient Peltier refrigeration by a pair of normal metal/ insulator/superconductor junctions
1995
We suggest and demonstrate in experiment that two normal metal /insulator/ superconductor (NIS) tunnel junctions combined in series to form a symmetric SINIS structure can operate as an efficient Peltier refrigerator. Specifically, it is shown that the SINIS structure with normal-state junction resistances 1.0 and 1.1 k$\Omega$ is capable of reaching a temperature of about 100 mK starting from 300 mK. We estimate the corresponding cooling power to be 1.5 pW per total junction area of 0.8 $\mu$m$^2$ at $T= 300$ mK.
Refrigeration of a dielectric membrane by superconductor/insulator/normalmetal/insulator/superconductor tunneling
1997
We have applied tunneling of electrons between a normal metal and a superconductor to refrigerate a thin dielectric membrane attached to the normal electrode of a superconductor/ insulator/normal-metal/insulator/superconductor (SINIS) structure. Starting from T≈200 mK, a decrease in temperature of several mK was observed, measured by a separate thermometer on the membrane. It should be straightforward to improve the refrigerator performance to the level of the recently demonstrated SINIS electron cooling method, such that the drop in the lattice temperature would be more than an order of magnitude larger.
Microrefrigeration by NIS tunnel junctions
1996
By using a normal metal-insulator-superconductor (NIS) tunnel junction one can manipulate the Fermi-Dirac distribution of the electrons in the normal electrode. If the junction is biased close to the superconducting gap, Δ, only “hot electrons” above Fermi level can tunnel from the normal electrode to the superconductor. Thus, due to the decoupling of the conduction electrons from the lattice at low temperatures, there exists a possibility to decrease the electronic temperature by this method. Because of the symmetry with bias voltage, two NIS tunnel junctions in series can form an efficient microrefrigerator. Temperature can be measured with two additional junctions by considering the vari…
Properties of the Phonon Gas in Ultrathin Membranes at Low Temperature
1998
We analyze heat conduction by phonons in ultrathin membranes by constructing a new theoreticalframework which implies a crossover from a bulk three-dimensional phonon distribution into a quasi-two-dimensional distribution when the temperature is lowered. We calculate the corresponding changesin the relevant thermodynamic quantities. At the end we make a comparison to experimental data.[S0031-9007(98)07273-1]
Cooling of a superconductor by quasiparticle tunneling
1999
We have extended the cryogenic cooling method based on tunneling between a superconductor and another metal to the case when both metals are superconducting but when their energy gaps are different; earlier, this method was applied between a superconductor and a normal metal. The electron system of a titanium strip with the superconducting transition temperature Tc2=0.51 K has been cooled from 1.02Tc2 to below 0.7Tc2 by this method, using aluminum as the other superconductor.
NIS chip refrigeration
1999
A normal-metal/insulator/superconductor (NIS) tunnel junction can be applied to cool electrons by biasing the junction suitably with external voltage. Two NIS junctions in series can form an efficient microrefrigerator because of the symmetry with bias voltage. Our SINIS microrefrigerator has been capable of reaching electronic temperatures of about 100 mK starting from 300 mK. To achieve appreciable refrigeration of the underlying lattice, the microrefrigerator must be thermally decoupled from the bulk substrate. We have demonstrated experimentally the reduction of lattice temperature by 23 mK at 180 mK by extending the normal electrode on a thin dielectric membrane with four suspended bri…
Microrefrigeration by quasiparticle tunnelling in NIS and SIS junctions
2000
Abstract A solid-state refrigeration method at sub-kelvin temperatures has been developed. It is based on quasiparticle tunnelling between a superconductor and a normal metal, or, between two dissimilar superconducting metals. The refrigerator is fabricated by combining nanolithography and micromachining methods. This technique has been demonstrated in both electron cooling from 0.3 to 0.1 K and in refrigeration of a dielectric platform. We describe a new fabrication method of tunnel junctions in a shadow evaporation configuration using a mechanical mask of silicon nitride.
Thermal characteristics of silicon nitride membranes at sub-Kelvin temperatures
1998
We have performed calorimetric measurements on 200 nm thin silicon nitride membranes at temperatures from 0.07 to 1 K. Besides full windows, membranes cut into a thermally isolating suspended bridge geometry were investigated. Based on dc and ac measurements employing normal-metal/insulator/superconductor (NIS) tunnel junctions both as a thermometer and a heater, we report on heat transport and thermal relaxation in silicon nitride films. The bridge structure improves thermal isolation and, consequently, energy sensitivity by two orders of magnitude over those of the full membrane with the same size, and makes such a structure very attractive for bolometric and microrefrigeration applicatio…
Microrefrigeration by normal-metal/ insulator/superconductor tunnel junctions
1997
Abstract A normal-metal/insulator/superconductor (NIS) tunnel junction can be applied to cool electrons by biasing the junction suitably with external voltage. Because of the symmetry with bias voltage, two NIS junctions in series can form an efficient microrefrigerator. So far our SINIS microrefrigerator has been capable of reaching electronic temperatures of about 100 mK starting from 300 mK. To achieve appreciable refrigeration of the underlying lattice, microrefrigerator must be thermally decoupled from the bulk substrate. We have demonstrated experimentally the reduction of lattice temperature of a few mK at 200 mK by extending the normal electrode on a thin dielectric membrane. Method…