Search results for "superconducting films"
showing 6 items of 6 documents
Thermoelectric radiation detector based on a superconductor-ferromagnet junction : Calorimetric regime
2018
We study the use of a thermoelectric junction as a thermal radiation detector in the calorimetric regime, where single radiation bursts can be separated in time domain. We focus especially on the case of a large thermoelectric figure of merit ZT affecting significantly, for example, the relevant thermal time scales. This work is motivated by the use of hybrid superconductor/ferromagnet systems in creating an unprecedentedly high low-temperature ZT even exceeding unity. Besides constructing a very general noise model which takes into account cross correlations between charge and heat noise, we show how the detector signal can be efficiently multiplexed by the use of resonant LC circuits givi…
Thermoelectric radiation detector based on a superconductor-ferromagnet junction : Calorimetric regime
2018
We study the use of a thermoelectric junction as a thermal radiation detector in the calorimetric regime, where single radiation bursts can be separated in time domain. We focus especially on the case of a large thermoelectric figure of merit $ZT$ affecting significantly for example the relevant thermal time scales. This work is motivated by the use of hybrid superconductor/ferromagnet systems in creating an unprecedentedly high low-temperature $ZT$ even exceeding unity. Besides constructing a very general noise model which takes into account cross correlations between charge and heat noise, we show how the detector signal can be efficiently multiplexed by the use of resonant LC circuits gi…
Metal frame as local protection of superconducting films from thermomagnetic avalanches
2016
Thermomagnetic avalanches in superconducting films propagating extremely fast while forming unpredictable patterns, represent a serious threat for the performance of devices based on such materials. It is shown here that a normal-metal frame surrounding a selected region inside the film area can provide efficient protection from the avalanches during their propagation stage. Protective behavior is confirmed by magneto-optical imaging experiments on NbN films equipped with Cu and Al frames, and also by performing numerical simulations. Experimentally, it is found that while conventional flux creep is not affected by the frames, the dendritic avalanches are partially or fully screened by them…
Ray optics behavior of flux avalanche propagation in superconducting films
2015
Experimental evidence of wave properties of dendritic flux avalanches in superconducting films is reported. Using magneto-optical imaging the propagation of dendrites across boundaries between a bare NbN film and areas coated by a Cu layer was visualized, and it was found that the propagation is refracted in full quantitative agreement with Snell's law. For the studied film of 170 nm thickness and a $0.9\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ thick metal layer, the refractive index was close to $n=1.4$. The origin of the refraction is believed to be caused by the dendrites propagating as an electromagnetic shock wave, similar to damped modes considered previously for normal …
Energy of dendritic avalanches in thin-film superconductors
2018
A method for calculating stored magnetic energy in a thin superconducting film based on quantitative magneto-optical imaging is developed. Energy and magnetic moment are determined with these calculations for full hysteresis loops in a thin film of the superconductor NbN. Huge losses in energy are observed when dendritic avalanches occur. Magnetic energy, magnetic moment, sheet current and magnetic flux distributions, all extracted from the same calibrated magneto-optical images, are analyzed and discussed. Dissipated energy and the loss in moment when dendritic avalanches occur are related to each other. Calculating these losses for specific spatially-resolved flux avalanches is a great ad…
Ray optics behavior of flux avalanche propagation in superconducting films
2015
Experimental evidence of wave properties of dendritic flux avalanches in superconducting films is reported. Using magneto-optical imaging the propagation of dendrites across boundaries between a bare NbN film and areas coated by a Cu layer was visualized, and it was found that the propagation is refracted in full quantitative agreement with Snell’s law. For the studied film of 170 nm thickness and a 0.9 μm thick metal layer, the refractive index was close to n = 1.4. The origin of the refraction is believed to be caused by the dendrites propagating as an electromagnetic shock wave, similar to damped modes considered previously for normal metals. The analogy is justified by the large dissipa…