MMW detection by superconducting films-applications of high temperature superconducting films

Conclusions Superconductors exhibit two basic modes of radiation detection —a thermal or bolometer mode and a rectification mode which depends on a nonlinear voltage-current characteristic. The SIS detector has been shown to have a quantum limited current responsivity of e/hf. By analogy, weak link detectors may have a quantum limited voltage responsivity of about 2eR/hf. Granular films behave like arrays of weak links.Both thermal and rectification modes have been observed in HTOS films. They can be characterized by the dependence of film resistance on temperature and current. Analysis of the temperature dependence of film resistance indicates that bolometer responsivities are limited by the broader resistive transition observed in HTOS films. HTOS films show a strong nonlinear dependence of resistance on current at lower temperatures. In this region, we expect voltage responsivities greater than 1 KV/W. This is a very promising mode for detection and mixing of far infrared and millimeter waves.