Engineering topics

Meziani, Zein-Eddine

Publications and source records attributed to Meziani, Zein-Eddine.

4 records

DOE OSTI2023

First Detection of 120 GeV Protons with Superconducting Nanowire Detectors

We report the test results for a 120 GeV proton beam incident on superconducting nanowire particle detectors of various wire sizes. NbN devices with the same sensitive area were fabricated with different wire widths and tested at a temperature of 3 K. The relative detection efficiency was extracted from bias current scans for each device. The results demonstrate efficient detection of high energy protons for wire widths less than 400 nm. These results are particularly relevant for novel applications at accelerator facilities, such as the Electron-Ion Collider, where cryogenic cooling is readily available.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2023

Design and performance of parallel-channel nanocryotrons in magnetic fields

We introduce a design modification to conventional geometry of the cryogenic three-terminal switch, the nanocryotron (nTron). The conventional geometry of nTrons is modified by including parallel current-carrying channels, an approach aimed at enhancing the device's performance in magnetic field environments. The common challenge in nTron technology is to maintain efficient operation under varying magnetic field conditions. Here, we show that the adaptation of parallel channel configurations leads to an enhanced gate signal sensitivity, an increase in operational gain, and a reduction in the impact of superconducting vortices on nTron operation within magnetic fields up to 1 T. Contrary to traditional designs that are constrained by their effective channel width, the parallel nanowire channels permits larger nTron cross sections, further bolstering the device's magnetic field resilience while improving electro-thermal recovery times due to reduced local inductance. This advancement in nTron design not only augments its functionality in magnetic fields but also broadens its applicability in technological environments, offering a simple design alternative to existing nTron devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2023

Nuclear Research using the Electromagnetic Probe

This is the final progress report for the project titled "Nuclear Research Using the Electromagnetic Probe." Our primary objective was to gain a deeper understanding of the internal structure of protons and neutrons, which are the fundamental constituents of nucleons and nuclei. These building blocks, composed of quarks and gluons known as "partons," were the focal point of our investigation. We delved into the intrinsic properties of nucleons, including their mass, charge, and spin, within the framework of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), a theory describing the intricate interactions, often referred to as color interactions, between the constituents of nucleons.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Ion-beam assisted sputtering of titanium nitride thin films

Abstract Titanium nitride is a material of interest for many superconducting devices such as nanowire microwave resonators and photon detectors. Thus, controlling the growth of TiN thin films with desirable properties is of high importance. This work aims to explore effects in ion beam-assisted sputtering (IBAS), were an observed increase in nominal critical temperature and upper critical fields are in tandem with previous work on Niobium nitride (NbN). We grow thin films of titanium nitride by both, the conventional method of DC reactive magnetron sputtering and the IBAS method, to compare their superconducting critical temperatures $$T_{c}$$ T c as functions of thickness, sheet resistance, and nitrogen flow rate. We perform electrical and structural characterizations by electric transport and x-ray diffraction measurements. Compared to the conventional method of reactive sputtering, the IBAS technique has demonstrated a 10% increase in nominal critical temperature without noticeable variation in the lattice structure. Additionally, we explore the behavior of superconducting $$T_c$$ T c in ultra-thin films. Trends in films grown at high nitrogen concentrations follow predictions of mean-field theory in disordered films and show suppression of superconducting $$T_c$$ T c due to geometric effects, while nitride films grown at low nitrogen concentrations strongly deviate from the theoretical models.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗