NbN/BN granular films: a sensitive, high-speed detector for pulsed far-infrared radiation

Journal Article · Mon Jun 08 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.97770· OSTI ID:6799227

Leung, M; Strom, U; Culbertson, J C; Claassen, J H; Wolf, S A; Simon, R W

Thin superconducting, granular films of NbN/BN are investigated as photodetectors for pulsed, far-infrared radiation. These films may be thought of as a random network of Josephson junctions. The absorption of photons causes the film resistance to increase. This is thought to occur by destroying the phase coherence of the Cooper pair wave function among the junctions. This resistance change can be used as a basis for a photodetector. It is found that the NbN/BN thin-film detectors have response times faster than 1 ns, and sensitivities of about 0.7 V/W when terminated to 50 ..cap omega.., at wavelengths of about 0.50 mm.

• Research Organization: Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375
• OSTI ID: 6799227
• Journal Information: Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 50:23; ISSN APPLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
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47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BORON COMPOUNDS
BORON NITRIDES
DATA
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FABRICATION
FILMS
INFORMATION
JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
JUNCTIONS
NIOBIUM COMPOUNDS
NIOBIUM NITRIDES
NITRIDES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHOTODETECTORS
PHOTOSENSITIVITY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PNICTIDES
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SENSITIVITY
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
THIN FILMS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS