Doped Josephson tunneling junction for use in a sensitive IR detector
A superconductive tunneling device having a modified tunnel barrier capable of supporting Josephson tunneling current is provided. The tunnel barrier located between a pair of electrodes includes a molecular species which is capable of coupling incident radiation of a spectrum characteristic of the molecular species into the tunnel barrier. The coupled radiation modulates the known Josephson characteristics of the superconducting device. As a result of the present invention, a superconductive tunneling device can be tuned or made sensitive to a particular radiation associated with the dopant molecular species. The present invention is particularly useful in providing an improved infrared detector. The tunnel barrier region can be, for example, an oxide of an electrode or frozen gas. The molecular species can be intermixed with the barrier region such as the frozen gas or deposited as one or more layers of molecules on the barrier region. The deposited molecules of the molecular species are unbonded and capable of responding to a radiation characteristic of the molecules. Semi-conductor material can be utilized as the molecular species to provide an increased selective bandwidth response. Finally, appropriate detector equipment can be utilized to measure the modulation of any of the Josephson characteristics such as critical current, voltage steps, Lambe-Jaklevic peaks and plasma frequency. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- NSA Number:
- NSA-33-002923
- Assignee:
- TIC; NSA-33-002923
- Patent Number(s):
- US 3906231
- OSTI ID:
- 4138004
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 1974 Mar 19; Other Information: H01L39/22. Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-76
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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