Study of SNS and SIS NbN Josephson junctions coupled to a microwave band-pass filter

Abstract

We have fabricated both NbN/TaxN/NbN SN*S-type, NbN/MgO/NbN SIS-type Josephson junctions and microwave band-pass filters on different substrates (Si, Sapphire, MgO). NbN films have been deposited on both sides of (100) oriented, 250 νm thick, MgO substrates with a high crystalline texture quality. The aim was to investigate the performances and the maximum achievable operating frequency in an NbN based RSFQ modulator front-end of an ADC in the 4 K-10 K temperature range. We observed that TaxN thin films can be tuned from an insulating phase to a superconducting phase (Tc ∼4K) by varying the nitrogen content during sputter deposition while the barrier height of MgO can also be controlled by deposition conditions and by tri-layer postdeposition annealing. Junction properties (Jc∼10-25 kA/cm 2), Mac Cumber parameter and RnIc product measured up to 1 mV are shown to be controlled by the reactive sputtering conditions. We have designed three pole band-pass filters and resonators in a micro-strip configuration and studied the junction coupling with the filters. We will show that a sigma-delta NbN technology is a suitable solution for analogue-to-digital conversion in the future generations of telecommunication satellites to achieve high sampling frequency and large bandwidth at high carrier frequency signal. © 2006 IOP Publishing Ltd.