Dilute Al-Mn alloys for superconductor device applications

Published

December 17, 2003

Author(s)

Steve Ruggiero, Anthony Williams, W. H. Rippard, A. Clarke, Steven Deiker, Leila R. Vale, Joel N. Ullom

Abstract

We discuss results on the superconducting and electron-transport properties of Mn doped Al produced by sputter deposition. The critical temperature of Al has been systematically reduced to below 50 mK by doping with 1000-3000 ppm Mn. Values of the α parameter are in the range of 450-500, indicating sharp normal-to superconductor transitions. Al-Mn/I/Al-Mn tunnel junctions show low sub-gap conductance and BCS-like characteristics. This material is thus of significant interest for both transition-edge sensors (TES) operating in the 100 mK regime and superconductor/insulator/superconductor (S/I/S) and superconductor/insulator/normal (S/I/N) devices, in the latter case where approrpiately doped Al-Mn replaces the normal metal.

Citation

Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment

Volume

520

Issue

1-3

Pub Type

Journals

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DOI Link

Keywords

SIS, superconductor-insulator-superconductor, TES, transition-edge sensors, Mn doped Al

Citation

Ruggiero, S. , Williams, A. , Rippard, W. , Clarke, A. , Deiker, S. , Vale, L. and Ullom, J. (2003), Dilute Al-Mn alloys for superconductor device applications, Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment, [online], https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2003.11.236 (Accessed October 13, 2025)