English

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

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2015-05-13 v2

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.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0902.4194,
  title  = {The Quantum Capacitance Detector: A concept for a pair-breaking radiation detector based on the single Cooper-pair box},
  author = {M. D. Shaw and J. Bueno and P. Day and C. M. Bradford and P. M. Echternach},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0902.4194},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

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

R2 v1 2026-06-21T12:15:03.207Z