Normal metal boundary conditions for multi-layer TES detectors

US6455849B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce · US

Inventors

• Gene Hilton · Boulder, US
• John Martinis · Midland School, US
• Kent D. Irwin · Boulder, US
• David A. Wollman · Louisville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 28, 2000
• Grant date: Sep 24, 2002
• Expiry date: Oct 12, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N25/482
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Multi-layer transition-edge sensors (TES) having improved performance, a method for preparing them and methods of using them. Specifically, the improvement lies in providing normal metal strips along the edges of the superconducting and normal metal layers parallel to the current flow in the TES during operation. These strips (referred to as “banks”) provide for both improved detector performance and improved detector robustness against corrosion. This improvement is an important advance particularly for TES-based microcalorimeter detectors. The improved TESs also have many other applications based on the very precise thermometer function achieved by the TES.