Leakage current of a superconductor-normal metal tunnel junction connected to a high-temperature environment
Loading...
Access rights
openAccess
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
This publication is imported from Aalto University research portal.
View publication in the Research portal
View/Open full text file from the Research portal
View publication in the Research portal
View/Open full text file from the Research portal
Date
2013-11-11
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
9
1-9
1-9
Series
PHYSICAL REVIEW B, Volume 88, issue 17
Abstract
We consider a voltage-biased normal metal-insulator-superconductor (NIS) tunnel junction, connected to a high-temperature external electromagnetic environment. This model system features the commonly observed subgap leakage current in NIS junctions through photon-assisted tunneling which is detrimental for applications. We first consider a NIS junction directly coupled to the environment and analyze the subgap leakage current both analytically and numerically; we discuss the link with the phenomenological Dynes parameter. Then, we focus on a circuit where a low-temperature lossy transmission line is inserted between the NIS junction and the environment. We show that the amplitude of the transmitted frequencies relevant for the photon-assisted tunneling is exponentially suppressed as the length ℓ and the resistance per unit length R0 of the line are increased. Consequently, the subgap current is reduced exponentially as well. This property can not be obtained by means of lumped circuit elements. We finally discuss our results in view of the performance of NIS junctions in applications.Description
Keywords
ISLAND, NOISE, REFRIGERATION, SINGLE-ELECTRON TRANSISTOR, THERMOMETRY
Other note
Citation
Di Marco , A , Maisi , V , Pekola , J P & Hekking , F W J 2013 , ' Leakage current of a superconductor-normal metal tunnel junction connected to a high-temperature environment ' , Physical Review B , vol. 88 , no. 17 , 174507 , pp. 1-9 . https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.88.174507