The Quantum Capacitance Detector: A concept for a pair-breaking radiation detector based on the single Cooper-pair box

Abstract

We present a proposed design for a pair-breaking photodetector for far-infrared and sub-millimeter radiation. Antenna-coupled radiation generates quasiparticles in a superconducting absorber, the density of which are measured using a single Cooper-pair box. Readout is performed using an electromagnetic oscillator or a microwave resonator, which is well suited for frequency multiplexing in large arrays. Theoretical limits to detector sensitivity are discussed and modeled, with predicted sensitivities rivaling transition-edge sensors and microwave kinetic inductance detectors. We anticipate that this detector can be used to address key scientific goals in far-infrared and sub-millimeter astronomy.

11 pages, 11 figures. Corrected expression for Fano noise NEP, improved Fig. 9, removed section on energy resolution

References in corpus (10)

• Experimental evidence for a surface distribution of two-level systems in superconducting lithographed microwave resonators
• Ultra-Sensitive Hot-Electron Nanobolometers for Terahertz Astrophysics
• Kinetics of non-equilibrium quasiparticle tunneling in superconducting charge qubits
• Energy gap measurement of nanostructured thin aluminium films for use in single Cooper-pair devices
• Microsecond resolution of quasiparticle tunneling in the single-Cooper-pair-transistor
• Time-domain measurements of quasiparticle tunneling rates in a single-Cooper-pair transistor
• Parity effect in superconducting aluminum single electron transistors with spatial gap profile controlled by film thickness
• Reading-out the state inductively and microwave spectroscopy of an interferometer-type charge qubit
• Kinetics of quasiparticle trapping in a Cooper-pair box
• Characterization of an entangled system of two superconducting qubits using a multiplexed capacitance readout

Cited by in corpus (13)

• Broadband solenoidal haloscope for terahertz axion detection
• Nanobolometers for THz Photon Detection
• Direct Dispersive Monitoring of Charge Parity in Offset-Charge-Sensitive Transmons
• Review: Far-Infrared Instrumentation and Technology Development for the Next Decade
• Prospective performance of graphene HEB for ultrasensitive detection of sub-mm radiation
• Non-equilibrium probing of two-level charge fluctuators using the step response of a single electron transistor
• Fast readout of a single Cooper-pair box using its quantum capacitance
• Cosmic-ray-induced correlated errors in superconducting qubit array
• Enhanced quasiparticle lifetime in a superconductor by selective blocking of recombination phonons with a phononic crystal
• The Superconducting Quasiparticle-Amplifying Transmon: A Qubit-Based Sensor for meV Scale Phonons and Single THz Photons
• Splitting a single Cooper-pair with microwave light
• Aluminum Relaxation as the Source of Excess Low Energy Events in Low Threshold Calorimeters
• Estimating the Energy Threshold of Phonon-mediated Superconducting Qubit Detectors Operated in an Energy-Relaxation Sensing Scheme