TY - JOUR
T1 - Low temperature scanning electron microscopy of a niobium superconducting tunnel junctions with trapping blocks
AU - Videler, P.
AU - Rando, N.
AU - Verhoeve, P.
AU - Peacock, A.
AU - Lemke, S.
AU - Martin, J.
AU - Gross, R.
AU - Huebener, R. P.
AU - Lumley, J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 1994 SPIE. All rights reserved.
PY - 1994/9/16
Y1 - 1994/9/16
N2 - In this paper we investigate the QP transport and loss mechanisms in a superconducting tunnel junction using the Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LTSEM) technique. This approach allows precise control of the energy and position of a deposited electron pulse, which, within certain conditions, simulates the X-ray photo-absorption process. A Nb-Al-A10x-Nb junction designed as a test structure which included Al blocks in the leads to act as quasi-particle traps, has been investigated. Asymmetries in the LTSEM signal distribution can be qualitatively described from the device geometry. From both the spatial distribution and the time resolved measurements the diffusion length in the amorphous Nb was determined to be of the order of 8 μm. The LTSEM technique has demonstrated that quasiparticles produced in the leads cannot enter the tunnel barrier due to the presence of the Al traps.
AB - In this paper we investigate the QP transport and loss mechanisms in a superconducting tunnel junction using the Low Temperature Scanning Electron Microscopy (LTSEM) technique. This approach allows precise control of the energy and position of a deposited electron pulse, which, within certain conditions, simulates the X-ray photo-absorption process. A Nb-Al-A10x-Nb junction designed as a test structure which included Al blocks in the leads to act as quasi-particle traps, has been investigated. Asymmetries in the LTSEM signal distribution can be qualitatively described from the device geometry. From both the spatial distribution and the time resolved measurements the diffusion length in the amorphous Nb was determined to be of the order of 8 μm. The LTSEM technique has demonstrated that quasiparticles produced in the leads cannot enter the tunnel barrier due to the presence of the Al traps.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=3042985848&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1117/12.186826
DO - 10.1117/12.186826
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:3042985848
SN - 0277-786X
VL - 2280
SP - 352
EP - 361
JO - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
JF - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
T2 - EUV, X-Ray, and Gamma-Ray Instrumentation for Astronomy V 1994
Y2 - 24 July 1994 through 29 July 1994
ER -