High quality superconducting tunnel junctions on Nb and Ta single crystals for radiation detection
- Bruijn, M.P.
- Kiewiet, F.B.
- Berg, M.L. van den
- Luiten, O.J.
- Korte, P.A.J. de
- Hamster, A.W.
- Brons, C.G.S.
- Flokstra, J.
Publication date
January 1997
DOI Publisher
American Institute of Physics ISSN
0003-6951 Citation count (estimate)
6Abstract
High quality Nb/Al-based tunnel junctions, fabricated with a superconducting interface onto thick single crystalx-ray absorbers of Nb and Ta are discussed. Current-voltage characteristics, recorded at 0.5 K, show a subgap current which is still dominated by thermally excited quasiparticles. The quality parameter Rsubgap/Rnormal reaches a value of several million, which is unequalled for nonepitaxially sputtered tunnel junctions. The fabrication process and some development steps, such as preparation of ultrasmooth crystal surfaces are described. Observations of x-ray photons absorbed in Nb and Tasingle crystals detected by the superconducting tunnel junctions are also presented
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