Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation

Edward R Engbrecht

John Xavier Przybysz

Robert Miles Young

Aaron Ashley Hathaway

Aaron A Pesetski

Jeffrey David Hartman

Marc Eisenzweig Sherwin

Monica P Lilly

Justin C Hackley

Gregory R Boyd

Zachary A Stegen

An electrical connection device is provided that includes a first electrical connector having first electrical contacts formed therein and a second electrical connector having second electrical contacts formed therein. A flexible silicon connector section connects the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector. The connector section includes flexible strands separated by slots, where the flexible strands are flexible in directions orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of the connector section. The flexible strands include metal traces deposited therein to provide an electrical connection between the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector.

Silicon flexible connectors

A solid-state cooler device is disclosed that includes a first portion having a normal metal heat sink layer and a plurality of first parallel ridges disposed over the normal metal heat sink layer, and a second portion having a normal metal layer, insulator layer, superconductor layer (NIS) junction and a plurality of second parallel ridges disposed over the superconductor layer of the NIS junction. The plurality of first parallel ridges are in contact and orthogonal to the plurality of second parallel ridges to provide a plurality of grid point contacts.

Solid-state cooler device with grid point contacts

A superconductor junction includes a normal metal layer having a first side and a second side, an insulating layer overlying the second side of the normal metal layer, and a first superconductor layer formed of a first superconductor material that overlies a side of the insulating layer opposite the side that overlies the normal metal layer. The superconductor junction further includes a second superconductor layer formed of a second superconductor material with a first side overlying a side of the first superconductor material opposite the side that overlies the insulating layer. The second superconductor material has a higher diffusion coefficient than the first superconductor material and/or the second superconductor material has a lower recombination coefficient than the first superconductor metal layer. A normal metal layer quasiparticle trap is coupled to a second side of the second superconductor layer.

Superconductor junction for a solid state cooler

A solid state cooler device is disclosed that comprises a first normal metal pad, a first aluminum layer and a second aluminum layer disposed on the first normal metal pad and separated from one another by a gap, a first aluminum oxide layer formed on the first aluminum layer, and a second aluminum oxide layer formed on the second aluminum layer, and a first superconductor pad disposed on the first aluminum oxide layer and a second superconductor pad disposed on the second aluminum oxide layer. The device further comprises a first conductive pad coupled to the first superconductor pad, and a second conductive pad coupled to the second superconductor pad, wherein hot electrons are removed from the first normal metal pad when a bias voltage is applied between the first conductive pad and the second conductive pad.

Cooler device with aluminum oxide insulators

A solid state cooler device is provided that includes a substrate, a first and second conductive pad disposed on the substrate, a first and second superconductor pad each having a side with a plurality of conductive pad contact interfaces spaced apart from one another and being in contact with a surface of respective first and second conductive pads, and a first and second insulating layer disposed between respective first and second superconductor pads, and respective ends of a normal metal layer. A bias voltage is applied between one of a first conductive pad or first superconductor pad and one of the second conductive pad or the second superconductor pad to remove hot electrons from the normal metal layer, and the contact area of the plurality of first and second conductive pad contact interfaces inhibits the transfer of heat back to the first and second superconductor pads.

Solid state cooler device

A solid state cooler device is disclosed that includes a first superconductor shunt, a first normal metal pad disposed on the first superconductor shunt, and a first insulator layer and a second insulator layer disposed on the normal metal pad and separated from one another by a gap. The solid state cooler device also includes a first superconductor pad disposed on the first insulator layer and a second superconductor pad disposed on the second insulator layer, a first conductive pad coupled to the first superconductor pad, and a second conductive pad coupled to the second superconductor pad. Hot electrons are removed from the first normal metal pad when a bias voltage is applied between the first conductive pad and the second conductive pad, wherein the first superconductor shunt facilitates even current distribution through the device.

Growing community of inventors

Odenton, MD, United States of America

Edward R Engbrecht