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At least 145 records · Page 8

Parallels in Communication and Navigation Technology and Natural Phenomenon

The premise is more than art imitates life, or technology imitates nature it is a nascent step to see how we might be unwittingly inspired and influenced. An example that might immediately come to mind is a starling murmuration (a phenomenon called scale-free correlation) and Intels recent Coachella music festival drone performance. Superconductivity is a macroscopic manifestation of a quantum phenomenon - choreographed electrons (i.e. an electron murmuration) that enable astonishing devices. There is indeed an intimate connectedness between biology and electromagnetism. Our brains are complex neural circuits generating magnetic fields with a magnitude around 100 femtoTesla (roughly one billion times weaker than a typical magnet used to tack notes to a refrigerator door). Migratory birds navigate by orienteering with respect to the Earth's magnetic field. Electromagnetic field therapy is used in orthopedics to aid in bone repair. The electric eel generates a large electric field for self-defense. Sharks apparently detect extremely weak electric fields for finding prey. And so on. There are similarities between the way a field of wheat responds to a breeze and the natural restoring forces of a semiconductor crystal. And waves in a slowly moving river can lap backwards against a peninsular shoreline mimicking a diffraction effect. Getting back to the introductory sentence and mysterious links over cosmic distances, in August 2016, China launched the Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) satellite. The technology is based on a non-linear crystal that produces pairs of entangled photons whose attributes apparently remain entwined regardless of how far apart they are separated. This paper will, no doubt superficially, attempt to enumerate and examine these types of connections and parallelisms.

Romanofsky, Robert↗

Environmental test program for superconducting materials and devices

This report is divided into two parts. The first dealing with work involved with Clemson University and the second with the results from Westinghouse/Savannah River. Both areas of work involved low noise, low thermal conductivity superconducting grounding links used in the NASA-sponsored Spectroscopy of the Atmosphere using Far Infrared Emission (SAFIRE) Project. Clemson prepared the links from YBa2Cu3O(7-x) superconductor tape that was mounted on a printed circuit board and encapsulated with epoxy resin. The Clemson program includes temperature vs. resistance, liquid nitrogen immersion, water immersion, thermal cycling, humidity, and radiation testing. The evaluation of the links under a long term environmental test program is described. The Savannah River program includes gamma irradiation, vibration, and long-term evaluation. The progress made in these evaluations is discussed.

Haertling, Gene↗

Parallel arrays of Josephson junctions for submillimeter local oscillators

In this paper we discuss the influence of the DC biasing circuit on operation of parallel biased quasioptical Josephson junction oscillator arrays. Because of nonuniform distribution of the DC biasing current along the length of the bias lines, there is a nonuniform distribution of magnetic flux in superconducting loops connecting every two junctions of the array. These DC self-field effects determine the state of the array. We present analysis and time-domain numerical simulations of these states for four biasing configurations. We find conditions for the in-phase states with maximum power output. We compare arrays with small and large inductances and determine the low inductance limit for nearly-in-phase array operation. We show how arrays can be steered in H-plane using the externally applied DC magnetic field.

Pance, Aleksandar↗

Materials For Improved Josephson-Junction Devices

Number of superconductive, normally conductive, and insulating materials proposed for use in fabricating improved superconductor/insulator/superconductor (SIS) and superconductor/normal conductor/superconductor (SNS) electronic devices capable of operation at frequencies up into terahertz range. Such devices particularly useful as electrically nonlinear circuit elements of mixers and local oscillators in heterodyne receivers.

Vasquez, Richard P.↗

Space applications of superconducting microwave electronics at NASA Lewis Research Center

Since the discovery of high temperature superconductivity in 1987, NASA Lewis Research Center has been involved in efforts to demonstrate its advantages for applications involving microwave electronics in space, especially space communications. The program included thin film fabrication by means of laser ablation. Specific circuitry which was investigated includes microstrip ring resonators at 32 GHz, phase shifters which utilize a superconducting, optically activated switch, an 8x8 32 GHz superconducting microstrip antenna array, and an HTS-ring-resonator stabilized oscillator at 8 GHz. The latter two components are candidates for use in space experiments which are described in other papers. Experimental data on most of the circuits are presented as well as, in some cases, a comparison of their performance with an identical circuit utilizing gold or copper metallization.

Leonard, R. F.↗

High-acceleration mass drivers

High-acceleration mass drivers are discussed including the MD2 model of axial geometry, with individually powered drive coils of 13.1 cm diameter. Timing is derived through the interruption of light beams by the moving armature (bucket). Electric power is provided by the resonant discharge of sector capacitor banks through silicon-controlled rectifiers in a two-phase, quadrature circuit. The bucket flies in vacuum, guided by passive dynamic eddy-current magnetic forces, those currents flowing in strip conductors lining the inside of a nonconducting vacuum pipe. Quantitative measurements are obtained with a solid bucket carrying two superconducting coils with a current density of 25 kA/sq cm. A cryogenic station for cooling the bucket to liquid helium temperature is connected to the vacuum pipe.

Oneill, G. K.↗

Screen-Printed YBa2Cu3O7-x Films On Alumina

Superconducting films made in relatively simple process. Thick films of YBa2Cu3O7-x superconductor deposited on highly-polished alumina substrates by screen printing. In addition to simplicity, screen-printing technique offers advantage that patterns for electronic and microwave circuits and devices printed directly, without additional etching steps.

Bansal, Narottam P.↗

Advances in MMIC technology for communications satellites

This paper discusses NASA Lewis Research Center's program for development of monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) for application in space communications. Emphasis will be on the improved performance in power amplifiers and low noise receivers which has been made possible by the development of new semiconductor materials and devices. Possible applications of high temperature superconductivity for space communications will also be presented.

Leonard, Regis F.↗

Low-Loss NbTiN Films for THz SIS Mixer Tuning Circuits

Recent results at 1 THz using normal-metal tuning circuits have shown that SIS mixers can work well up to twice the gap frequency of the junction material (niobium). However, the performance at 1 THz is limited by the substantial loss in the normal metal films. For better performance superconducting films with a higher gap frequency than niobium and with low RF loss are needed. Niobium nitride has long been considered a good candidate material, but typical NbN films suffer from high RF loss. To circumvent this problem we are currently investigating the RF loss in NbTiN films, a 15 K Tc compound superconductor, by incorporating them into quasi-optical slot antenna SIS devices.

Kooi, J. W.↗

Mu-Spec - A High Performance Ultra-Compact Photon Counting spectrometer for Space Submillimeter Astronomy

We have designed and are testing elements of a fully integrated submillimeter spectrometer based on superconducting microstrip technology. The instrument can offer resolving power R approximately 1500, and its high frequency cutoff is set by the gap of available high performance superconductors. All functions of the spectrometer are integrated - light is coupled to the microstrip circuit with a planar antenna, the spectra discrimination is achieved using a synthetic grating, orders are separated using planar filter, and detected using photon counting MKID detector. This spectrometer promises to revolutionize submillimeter spectroscopy from space. It replaces instruments with the scale of 1m with a spectrometer on a 10 cm Si wafer. The reduction in mass and volume promises a much higher performance system within available resource in a space mission. We will describe the system and the performance of the components that have been fabricated and tested.

Moseley, H.↗

Fabrication of a Cryogenic Bias Filter for Ultrasensitive Focal Plane

A fabrication process has been developed for cryogenic in-line filtering for the bias and readout of ultrasensitive cryogenic bolometers for millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. The design is a microstripline filter that cuts out, or strongly attenuates, frequencies (10 50 GHz) that can be carried by wiring staged at cryogenic temperatures. The filter must have 100-percent transmission at DC and low frequencies where the bias and readout lines will carry signal. The fabrication requires the encapsulation of superconducting wiring in a dielectric-metal envelope with precise electrical characteristics. Sufficiently thick insulation layers with high-conductivity metal layers fully surrounding a patterned superconducting wire in arrayable formats have been demonstrated. A degenerately doped silicon wafer has been chosen to provide a metallic ground plane. A metallic seed layer is patterned to enable attachment to the ground plane. Thick silicon dioxide films are deposited at low temperatures to provide tunable dielectric isolation without degrading the metallic seed layer. Superconducting wiring is deposited and patterned using microstripline filtering techniques to cut out the relevant frequencies. A low Tc superconductor is used so that it will attenuate power strongly above the gap frequency. Thick dielectric is deposited on top of the circuit, and then vias are patterned through both dielectric layers. A thick conductive film is deposited conformally over the entire circuit, except for the contact pads for the signal and bias attachments to complete the encapsulating ground plane. Filters are high-aspect- ratio rectangles, allowing close packing in one direction, while enabling the chip to feed through the wall of a copper enclosure. The chip is secured in the copper wall using a soft metal seal to make good thermal and electrical contact to the outer shield.

Chervenak, James↗

Superconducting kinetic inductance photon detectors.

We are investigating a novel superconducting detector and readout method that could lead to photon counting, energy resolving focal plane arrays. This concept is intrinsically different from STJ and TES detectors, and in principle could deliver large pixel counts, high sensitivity, and Fano-limited spectral resolution in the ptical/UV/X-ray bands. The readout uses the monotonic relation between the kinetic surface inductance L***subs***, of a superconductor and the density of quasiparticles n, which holds even at temperatures far below T***subc***. This allows a sensitive readout of the number of excess quasiparticles in the detector by monitoring the transmission phase of a resonant circuit. The most intriguing aspect of this concept is that passive frequency multiplexing could be used to read out ~ l0***super4*** detectors with a single HEMT amplifier. Single x-ray events have been observed in prototype detectors.

kinetic↗

Superconducting Films On Microwave Dielectric Substrates

Thin films of superconductor YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-delta), formed on microwave dielectric substrates of SrTiO3, MgO, Al2O3 coated with ZrO2, and LaAlO3. Films formed by repeated sequential desposition of layers of Cu, BaF2, and Y in electro-beam evaporator, followed by annealing in oxygen. Technique employed gives layers uniformity and reproducibility required for fabrication of microwave circuits.

Warner, J. D.↗

A general numerical analysis program for the superconducting quasiparticle mixer

A user-oriented computer program SISCAP (SIS Computer Analysis Program) for analyzing SIS mixers is described. The program allows arbitrary impedance terminations to be specified at all LO harmonics and sideband frequencies. It is therefore able to treat a much more general class of SIS mixers than the widely used three-frequency analysis, for which the harmonics are assumed to be short-circuited. An additional program, GETCHI, provides the necessary input data to program SISCAP. The SISCAP program performs a nonlinear analysis to determine the SIS junction voltage waveform produced by the local oscillator. The quantum theory of mixing is used in its most general form, treating the large signal properties of the mixer in the time domain. A small signal linear analysis is then used to find the conversion loss and port impedances. The noise analysis includes thermal noise from the termination resistances and shot noise from the periodic LO current. Quantum noise is not considered. Many aspects of the program have been adequately verified and found accurate.

Hicks, R. G.↗

Demonstration of Y1Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) and complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor device fabrication on the same sapphire substrate

We report the first fabrication of active semiconductor and high-temperature superconducting devices on the same substrate. Test structures of complementary MOS transistors were fabricated on the same sapphire substrate as test structures of Y1Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) flux-flow transistors, and separately, Y1Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) superconducting quantum interference devices utilizing both biepitaxial and step-edge Josephson junctions. Both semiconductor and superconductor devices were operated at 77 K. The cofabrication of devices using these disparate yet complementary electronic technologies on the same substrate opens the door for the fabrication of true semiconductive/superconductive hybrid integrated circuits capable of exploiting the best features of each of these technologies.

Burns, M. J.↗

Single Pixel Characterization of X-Ray TES Microcalorimeter Under AC Bias at MHz Frequencies

In this paper we present the progress made at SRON in the read-out of GSFC x-ray transition-edge sensor (TES) micro-calorimeters in the frequency domain. The experiments reported so far, whose aim was to demonstrate an energy resolution of 2eV at 6 keV with a TES acting as a modulator, were carried out at frequencies below 700 kHz using a standard flux locked loop (FLL) SQUID read-out scheme. The TES read-out suffered from the use of sub-optimal circuit components, large parasitic inductances, low quality factor resonators and poor magnetic field shielding. We have developed a novel experimental set-up, which allows us to test several read-out schemes in a single cryogenic run. In this set-up, the TES pixels are coupled via superconducting transformers to 18 high-Q lithographic LC filters with resonant frequencies ranging between 2 and 5 MHz. The signal is amplified by a two-stage SQUID current sensor and baseband feedback is used to overcome the limited SQUID dynamic range. We study the single pixel performance as a function of TES bias frequency, voltage and perpendicular magnetic field.

Gottardi, L.↗

Coaxial line configuration for microwave power transmission study of YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) thin films

Microwave transmission measurements through YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) (YBCO) high-transition-temperature superconducting thin films on lanthanum aluminate (LaAlO3) have been performed in a coaxial line at 10 GHz. LaAlO3 substrates were ultrasonically machined into washer-shaped discs, polished, and coated with laser-ablated YBCO. These samples were mounted in a 50-ohm coaxial air line to form a short circuit. The power transmitted through the films as a function of temperature was used to calculate the normal state conductivity and the magnetic penetration depth for the films.

Chorey, C. M.↗