Investigation of the dynamic range of superconducting nano-bridge switches

Paper in proceeding, 2015

We present the design of planar superconducting on/off switch comprising a number of high normal resistance nano-bridges deposited across a the slot of a unilateral finline. We have simulated the performance of this device and have shown that it has a much larger dynamic range than a single nano-bridge fabricated from the same material (Niobium Nitride, NbN). The response of a single bridge device was measured either directly using a terahertz power meter or by using superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) device as direct detector. In either method, we have demonstrated good agreement between simulations and measurements, and therefore confirmed the integrity of our analysis of the device performance. We have recently designed and fabricated multiple nano-bridges superconducting switches using 50m thick NbN film. The measurement of these devices is currently in progress and we expect to report the results in the forthcoming ISSTT conference in March.