Radio-frequency single-electron refrigerator

Abstract

We propose a cyclic refrigeration principle based on mesoscopic electron transport. Synchronous sequential tunneling of electrons in a Coulomb-blockaded device, a normal metal-superconductor single-electron box, results in a cooling power of ∼kBT×f at temperature T over a wide range of cycle frequencies f. Electrostatic work, done by the gate voltage source, removes heat from the Coulomb island with an efficiency of ∼kBT/Δ, where Δ is the superconducting gap parameter. The performance is not affected significantly by nonidealities, for instance by offset charges. We propose ways of characterizing the system and of its practical implementation. © 2007 The American Physical Society.