US 2025/0155295 A1 · Coulomb blockade thermometer

Abstract

According to an aspect, there is provided a Coulomb blockade thermometer comprising an input electrode; an output electrode; and a sensor component coupled in-between the input and output electrodes. The sensor component comprises: an array of tunnel junctions comprising at least one row of tunnel junctions and first and second heat sinks. The tunnel junctions of the array comprise an insulating layer forming a tunnel barrier between two electrically conducting volumes which are characterized by an absence of superconductivity. The absence of superconductivity is achieved by using titanium tungsten layers or scandium layers. The at least one row comprises first, second and third tunnel junctions. The first heat sink is coupled to the first and second tunnel junctions. The second heat sink is coupled to the second and third tunnel junctions. The first and the second heat sinks are arranged to provide heat dissipation via electron-phonon coupling.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A Coulomb blockade thermometer, comprising

an input electrode;
an output electrode;
and
a sensor component coupled in-between the input electrode and the output electrode,
wherein the sensor component comprises:
an array of tunnel junctions comprising at least one row of tunnel junctions, wherein the at least one row comprises at least a first tunnel junction, a second tunnel junction and a third tunnel junction, wherein the tunnel junctions of the array comprise an insulating layer forming a tunnel barrier between two electrically conducting volumes which are characterized by an absence of superconductivity,
wherein the absence of superconductivity in the two electrically conducting volumes is achieved by using titanium tungsten layers or scandium layers;
and
at least a first heat sink and a second heat sink, wherein the first heat sink is coupled to the first tunnel junction and the second tunnel junction, and the second heat sink is coupled to the second tunnel junction and the third tunnel junction, the first heat sink and the second heat sink being arranged to provide heat dissipation via electron-phonon coupling.

6 more elements

A method comprising:

measuring a first derivative of a current-voltage curve using a Coulomb blockade thermometer, wherein the Coulomb blockade thermometer comprises:
an input electrode;
an output electrode;
a sensor component coupled in-between the input electrode and the output electrode;
and
a measurement device configured to measure voltage-current dependency of the sensor component,
wherein the sensor component comprises:
an array of tunnel junctions comprising at least one row of tunnel junctions, wherein the at least one row comprises at least a first tunnel junction, a second tunnel junction and a third tunnel junction, wherein the tunnel junctions of the array comprise an insulating layer forming a tunnel barrier between two electrically conducting volumes which are characterized by an absence of superconductivity,
wherein the absence of superconductivity in the two electrically conducting volumes is achieved by using titanium tungsten layers or scandium layers;
and
at least a first heat sink and a second heat sink, wherein the first heat sink is coupled to the first tunnel junction and the second tunnel junction, and the second heat sink is coupled to the second tunnel junction and the third tunnel junction, the first heat sink and the second heat sink being arranged to provide heat dissipation via electron-phonon coupling, and
determining an absolute temperature based on a full width at half minimum of the measured differential conductance dip.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Coulomb blockade thermometer

Life of this patent

Coulomb blockade thermometer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19