According to one embodiment, a superconducting element used as a pixel for detecting a particle is disclosed. The superconducting element includes at least one superconducting strip. The at least one superconducting strip includes a meandering structure. The meandering structure includes a first portion extending in a first direction and made of a superconducting material, a second portion connected to the first portion, extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and being conductive, and a third portion connected to the second portion, extending in a direction opposite to the first direction, and made of a superconducting material. A superconducting region of any one of the first portion and the third portion is configured to be divided when the particle is radiated to the first portion.

A system for detecting microwave power. In some embodiments, the system includes: a first resonator including a graphene-insulating-superconducting junction; a probe signal source, coupled to the first resonator; and a probe signal analyzer. The probe signal analyzer is configured: to measure a change in amplitude or phase of a probe signal received by the probe signal analyzer from the probe signal source, and to infer, from the change in amplitude or phase, a change in microwave power received by the graphene-insulating-superconducting junction.

A superconductor device according to some embodiments comprises a superconductor stack, which includes a superconductor layer and a silicon cap layer over the superconductor layer, the cap layer including amorphous silicon. The superconductor device further comprises a metal contact over a portion of the silicon cap layer and electrically-coupled to the superconductor layer. The metal contact comprises a core including a first metal, and an outer layer around the core that includes a second metal. The portion of the silicon cap layer is converted from silicon to a conductive compound including the second metal to provide low-resistance electrical coupling between the superconductor layer and the metal contact. The superconductor device further comprises a waveguide, and the first portion of the cap layer under the metal contact is at a sufficient lateral distance from the waveguide to prevent optical coupling between the metal contact and the waveguide.

A detector of microwave radiation comprises a signal input and a detector output. An absorber element of ohmic conductivity is coupled to said signal input through a first length of superconductor. A variable impedance element, the impedance of which is configured to change as a function of temperature, is coupled to the detector output through a second length of superconductor. There is also a heating input and a heating element coupled to the heating input through a third length of superconductor. The absorber element, the variable impedance element, and the heating element are coupled to each other through superconductor sections of lengths shorter than any of said first, second, and third lengths of superconductor.

According to one embodiment, a superconducting element used as a pixel for detecting a particle is disclosed. The superconducting element includes at least one superconducting strip. The at least one superconducting strip includes a meandering structure. The meandering structure includes a first portion extending in a first direction and made of a superconducting material, a second portion connected to the first portion, extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and being conductive, and a third portion connected to the second portion, extending in a direction opposite to the first direction, and made of a superconducting material. A superconducting region of any one of the first portion and the third portion is configured to be divided when the particle is radiated to the first portion.

An omnidirectional measurement system for a time-varying characteristic of atmospheric vapor radiation includes an antenna and calibrator assembly, a receiver assembly, a room temperature IF assembly, and a data acquisition and system control assembly. Atmospheric vapor features a wide profile and strong radiation in a frequency band of 183 GHz, and is often seen in the characteristic measurement of atmospheric vapor in high-altitude areas. The omnidirectional measurement system combines a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer with high detection sensitivity in the frequency band of 183 GHz with a structure that integrates pitch scanning, omnidirectional scanning, and automatic calibration to achieve fast and high-precision omnidirectional scanning measurement of the time-varying characteristic of atmospheric vapor radiation. The omnidirectional measurement system has a pitch adjustment-based fast omnidirectional scanning function, and can measure the time-varying characteristic of atmospheric vapor radiation with higher precision and higher temporal resolution through the SIS mixer with higher sensitivity.

An omnidirectional measurement system for a time-varying characteristic of atmospheric vapor radiation includes an antenna and calibrator assembly, a receiver assembly, a room temperature IF assembly, and a data acquisition and system control assembly. Atmospheric vapor features a wide profile and strong radiation in a frequency band of 183 GHz, and is often seen in the characteristic measurement of atmospheric vapor in high-altitude areas. The omnidirectional measurement system combines a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) mixer with high detection sensitivity in the frequency band of 183 GHz with a structure that integrates pitch scanning, omnidirectional scanning, and automatic calibration to achieve fast and high-precision omnidirectional scanning measurement of the time-varying characteristic of atmospheric vapor radiation. The omnidirectional measurement system has a pitch adjustment-based fast omnidirectional scanning function, and can measure the time-varying characteristic of atmospheric vapor radiation with higher precision and higher temporal resolution through the SIS mixer with higher sensitivity.

A device for single-photon detection comprising two superconducting detectors, a bias-current source, a filter element and a readout circuit. Each detector forms a detection area for absorption of incident photons and is connected in parallel; each detector being maintained below its critical temperature and provided with an electrical bias current situated close to and below its critical current so as to be maintained in a non-resistive superconducting state, and configured to transition, at photon absorption, from the non-resistive state to a resistive state due to an increase in current density within the detector above the critical current. The readout circuit senses a voltage change corresponding to the, allowing creation of an event signal for each absorption of an incident photon by a detector. The device includes a current-redistribution portion for redistributing current arising after absorption of incident photons so as to avoid increases in current density above the critical current.

The disclosure relates to a quantum detector configured to receive a microwave signal from a microwave source. The quantum detector comprises a main element formed by a main Josephson junction and a Josephson transmission line which is coupled to the main element for outputting a measurement signal. The Josephson transmission line comprises at least a first set of JTL elements and a second set of JTL elements. The capacitively shunted Josephson junction in each JTL element in the first set is weakly damped, and the JTL element in the second set are more strongly damped than the JTL elements in the first set.

An optical energy detector and a method for detecting a broad range of optical energy are disclosed. The detector comprising a superconducting nanowire filament on a substrate, an electrical current pulse source, a laser pulse source, a first pickup probe, and a second pickup probe for measuring the voltage across the filament. The filament is maintained below a supercomputing critical temperature. The filament is biased with an electrical current pulses slight below the critical current of the filament which creates nonequilibrium state. The filament is excited by the laser pulses, and as a result, a voltage appears after a delay time. The voltage is measured for determining the amount of the optical energy. A reference curve of the voltage and the corresponding delay time can be used for calibrating any light source.