The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 09, 1992
Filed:
Jul. 10, 1989
Jerry A Wilson, Goleta, CA (US);
Santa Barbara Research Center, Goleta, CA (US);
Abstract
A VLWIR proximity effect detector 10 includes a substrate 12, a bulk superconducting material 14, a proximity layer 16 which overlies a portion of the bulk superconducting material 14, an insulator layer 17 and a transparent tunnelling electrode 18. Detector electrical contacts 19 are provided on the proximity layer 16 and on the electrode 18. VLWIR, indicated by the arrows, is absorbed in proximity layer 16 and causes a detectable modulation of tunnelling characteristics (current or voltage) between the proximity layer 16 and the electrode 18. The proximity layer has a thickness on the order of a coherence length for the material which comprises the proximity layer. In accordance with the invention it has been determined that a spatially varying energy gap (E.sub.gap) induced in the proximity layer by the adjacent superconducting material results in the proximity layer having a longer cut off wavelength than that of the adjacent bulk superconducting material. The lower value of the induced E.sub.gap within the proximity layer results in Cooper pair breaking with photons of lower energy, or longer wavelength, than is possible in the bulk superconducting material.