Power attenuation in millimeter-wave and terahertz superconducting rectangular waveguides: linear response, TLS loss, and Higgs-mode nonlinearity

Abstract

Superconducting waveguides are a promising platform for ultralow-loss transmission in the millimeter-wave to terahertz band under cryogenic conditions, with potential applications in astronomical instrumentation and emerging quantum technologies. We develop a framework, based on microscopic superconductivity theory, to evaluate the power-flow attenuation constant $\hat{I}\pm$ of superconducting rectangular waveguides in the $100\mathrm{GHz}$--THz range, applicable to arbitrary electronic mean free paths $\ell$ from the dirty limit $\ell \ll \hat{I}{¾}_0$ to the clean limit $\ell \gg \hat{I}{¾}_0$. We also derive an analytical expression for two-level-system (TLS)-induced attenuation $\hat{I}{\pm }_{\mathrm{TLS}}$ in thin native oxide layers within the standard TLS model. Using this framework, we perform numerical evaluations of $\hat{I}\pm$ for representative materials over standard waveguide sizes from WR15 to WR1. In the high-frequency regime $f\gtrsim 0.5\hat{I}”/h$, low attenuation favors the clean regime $\ell \gtrsim \hat{I}{¾}_0$, indicating that high-purity materials can achieve very low attenuation below their gap frequency. For the TLS contribution, using parameter values representative of native Nb oxides, we find that $\hat{I}{\pm }_{\mathrm{TLS}}$ can become relevant at sufficiently low temperatures $T/T_c\lesssim 0.1$-0.2, where quasiparticle dissipation is exponentially suppressed. Finally, we extend the discussion to the strong-excitation regime using a recently developed nonlinear-response theory within the Keldysh--Usadel framework of nonequilibrium superconductivity and show that nonlinear dissipation produces a Higgs-mode peak in $\hat{I}\pm$ near $f\simeq \hat{I}”/h$ via a Kerr-type nonlinearity of the dissipative conductivity. This peak provides a distinct hallmark of the Higgs mode that has been largely overlooked so far.

16 pages, 12 figures