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Exploring the performance of thin-film superconducting multilayers as kinetic inductance detectors for low-frequency detection

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Goldie, DJ 
Withington, S 
Thomas, CN 

Abstract

We have solved numerically the diffusive Usadel equations that describe the spatially varying superconducting proximity effect in Ti-Al thin-film bi- and trilayers with thickness values that are suitable for kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) to operate as photon detectors with detection thresholds in the frequency range of 50-90 GHz. Using Nam's extension of the Mattis-Bardeen calculation of the superconductor complex conductivity, we show how to calculate the surface impedance for the spatially varying case, and hence the surface impedance quality factor. In addition, we calculate energy-and spatially-averaged quasiparticle lifetimes at temperatures well-below the transition temperature and compare to calculation in Al. Our results for the pair-breaking threshold demonstrate differences between bilayers and trilayers with the same total film thicknesses. We also predict high quality factors and long multilayer-averaged quasiparticle recombination times compared to thin-film Al. Our calculations give a route for designing KIDs to operate in this scientifically-important frequency regime.

Description

Keywords

kinetic inductance detectors, superconducting proximity effect, surface impedance, recombination time, Usadel equations

Journal Title

Superconductor Science and Technology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0953-2048
1361-6668

Volume Title

31

Publisher

Institute of Physics Publishing
Sponsorship
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/G002525/1)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/J001554/1)
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/M000818/1)