Superconducting cascade electron refrigerator (original) (raw)

Electronic cooling in superconducting tunnel junctions

Physics Letters a, 1997

The cooling power provided by the current through a superconductor/insulator/superconductor tunnel junction is studied theoretically. The influence of non-equilibrium distributions of the quasi-particles on the heat flow is analysed within a simple relaxation model. A superconducting gap enhancement can be explained within the equilibrium as well as the non-equilibrium model.

Limitations in Cooling Electrons using Normal-Metal-Superconductor Tunnel Junctions

Physical Review Letters, 2004

We demonstrate both theoretically and experimentally two limiting factors in cooling electrons using biased tunnel junctions to extract heat from a normal metal into a superconductor. Firstly, when the injection rate of electrons exceeds the internal relaxation rate in the metal to be cooled, the electrons do no more obey the Fermi-Dirac distribution, and the concept of temperature cannot be applied as such. Secondly, at low bath temperatures, states within the gap induce anomalous heating and yield a theoretical limit of the achievable minimum temperature.

Optimization of electron cooling by SIN tunnel junctions

Superconductor Science and Technology, 2004

We report on the optimization of electron cooling by SIN tunnel junctions due to the advanced geometry of superconducting electrodes and very effective normal metal traps for more efficient removal of quasiparticles at temperatures from 25 to 500 mK. The maximum decrease in electron temperature of about 200 mK has been observed at bath temperatures 300-350 mK. We used four-junction geometry with Al-AlO x -Cr/Cu tunnel junctions and Au traps. Efficient electron cooling was realized due to the improved geometry of the cooling tunnel junctions (quadrant shape of the superconducting electrode) and optimized Au traps just near the junctions (≈0.5 µm) to reduce reabsorption of quasiparticles after removing them from normal metal. The maximum cooling effect was increased from a temperature drop of dT = −56 mK (ordinary cross geometry) to −130 mK (improved geometry of superconducting electrodes) and to dT = −200 mK (improved geometry of superconducting electrodes and effective Au traps).

Cooling electrons from 1 to 0.4 K with V-based nanorefrigerators

Applied Physics Letters, 2011

The fabrication and operation of V-based superconducting nanorefrigerators is reported. Specifically, electrons in an Al island are cooled thanks to hot-quasiparticle extraction provided by tunnel-coupled V electrodes. Electronic temperature reduction down to 400 mK starting from 1 K is demonstrated with a cooling power ∼ 20 pW at 1 K for a junction area of 0.3 µm 2 . The present architecture extends to higher temperatures refrigeration based on tunneling between superconductors and paves the way to the implementation of a multi-stage on-chip cooling scheme operating from above 1 K down to the mK regime.

Cooling of bulk material by electron-tunneling refrigerators

Applied Physics Letters, 2005

Improved refrigeration techniques have lead to scientific discoveries such as superconductivity and Bose-Einstein condensation. Improved refrigeration techniques also enhance our quality of life. Semiconductor processing equipment and magnetic-resonance imaging machines incorporate mechanical coolers operating below 10 K. There is a pressing need for refrigeration techniques to reach even lower temperatures because many next-generation analytical and astronomical instruments will rely on sensors cooled to temperatures near 100 mK. Here we demonstrate a solid-state, on-chip refrigerator capable of reaching 100 mK based on the quantum-mechanical tunneling of electrons through normal metal-insulator-superconductor junctions. The cooling power and temperature reduction of our refrigerator are sufficient for practical applications and we have used it to cool bulk material that has no electrical connection to the refrigerating elements.

Using electron-tunneling refrigerators to cool electrons, membranes, and sensors

Many cryogenic devices require temperatures near 100 mK for optimal performance, such as thin-film, superconducting detectors. Examples include the submillimeter SCUBA camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, high-resolution X-ray sensors for semiconductor defect analysis, and a planned satellite to search for polarization in the cosmic microwave background. The cost, size, and complexity of refrigerators used to reach 100 mK (dilution and adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators) are significant and alternative technologies are desirable. We demonstrate work on developing a new option for cooling detectors to 100 mK bath temperatures. Solid-state refrigerators based on Normal metal/Insulator/Superconductor (NIS) tunnel junctions can provide cooling from pumped 3He bath temperatures (˜300 mK) to 100 mK. The cooling mechanism is the preferential tunneling of the highest energy (hottest) electrons from the normal metal through the biased tunnel junctions into the superconductor. Wh...

Millikelvin cooling by heavy-fermion-based tunnel junctions

Journal of Applied Physics, 2015

This paper addresses a high-performance electron-tunneling cooler based on a novel heavy-fermion/insulator/superconductor junction for millikelvin cooling applications. We show that the cooling performance of an electronic tunneling refrigerator could be significantly improved using a heavy-fermion metal to replace the normal metal in a conventional normal metal/insulator/ superconductor junction. The calculation, based on typical parameters, indicates that, for a bath temperature of 300 mK, the minimum cooling temperature of an electron tunneling refrigerator is reduced from around 170 mK to below 50 mK if a heavy-fermion metal is employed in place of the normal metal. The improved cooling is attributed to an enhancement in electron tunneling due to the existence of a resonant density of states at the Fermi level. V

Trapping of quasiparticles of a nonequilibrium superconductor

Applied Physics Letters, 2000

We have performed experiments where hot electrons are extracted from a normal metal into a superconductor through a tunnel junction. We have measured the cooling performance of such NIS junctions, especially in the cases where another normal metal electrode, a quasiparticle trap, is attached to the superconductor at different distances from the junction in direct metal-to-metal contact or through an oxide barrier. The direct contact at a submicron distance allows superior thermalization of the superconductor. We have analyzed theoretically the heat transport in this system. From both experiment and theory, it appears that NIS junctions can be used as refrigerators at low temperatures only with quasiparticle traps attached.

Heat Transistor: Demonstration of Gate-Controlled Electronic Refrigeration

Physical Review Letters, 2007

We present experiments on a superconductor-normal metal electron refrigerator in a regime where single-electron charging effects are significant. The system functions as a heat transistor, i. e., the heat flux out from the normal metal island can be controlled with a gate voltage. A theoretical model developed within the framework of single-electron tunneling provides a full quantitative agreement with the experiment. This work serves as the first experimental observation of Coulombic control of heat transfer and, in particular, of refrigeration in a mesoscopic system.