Niobium Silicon Alloys for Kinetic Inductance Detectors

• Published in: Journal of low temperature physics Vol. 176; no. 3-4; pp. 518 - 523
• Main Authors: Calvo, M., D’Addabbo, A., Monfardini, A., Benoit, A., Boudou, N., Bourrion, O., Catalano, A., Dumoulin, L., Goupy, J., Le Sueur, H., Marnieros, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 2014; Springer Verlag (Germany)
• Subjects: Astrophysics; Band spectra; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Cosmology and Extra-Galactic Astrophysics; Detectors; Inductance; Low temperature physics; Magnetic Materials; Magnetism; Niobium base alloys; Optical properties; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Sciences of the Universe; Silicon; Silicon base alloys; Kinetic inductance detectors; Superconducting properties; mm-Wave detectors
• ISSN: 0022-2291; 1573-7357
• DOI: 10.1007/s10909-013-1072-6

We are studying the properties of Niobium Silicon amorphous alloys as a candidate material for the fabrication of highly sensitive kinetic inductance detectors (KID), optimized for very low optical loads. As in the case of other composite materials, the NbSi properties can be changed by varying the relative amounts of its components. Using a NbSi film with T c = 1 K we have been able to obtain the first NbSi resonators, observe an optical response and acquire a spectrum in the band 50–300 GHz. The data taken show that this material has very high kinetic inductance L k and normal state surface resistivity ρ n . These properties are ideal for the development of KID. More measurements are planned to further characterize the NbSi alloy and fully investigate its potential.