Superconducting multilayer architecture for radiative transient discrimination

Claim 2

A radiation detector comprising a first superconducting transmission line means having an input port for coupling to a frequency signal and an output port for coupling to sensor means for detecting a variation in the frequency signal, said transmission line means being interposed between a first electrode means and a second electrode means and forming a resonant cavity structure therewith, said transmission line means being responsive to radiation that is absorbed within one of the first or second electrode means for having induced therein a change in a resonant frequency of said transmission line electrode means.

Claim 3

A detector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said superconducting transmission line means includes third electrode means comprised of a layer of superconducting material, said third electrode means being separated from said first electrode means and from said second electrode means by a dielectric material.

Claim 4

A detector as set forth in claim 2 wherein said third electrode means has a substantially linear shape that is folded within a region.

Claim 5

A detector as set forth in claim 3 wherein said third electrode means has a width within a range of approximately 0.1 micron to approximately 1000 microns.

Claim 6

A detector as set forth in claim 3 wherein the region has linear dimensions within a range of less than approximately 10 microns by 10 microns to greater than approximately 1000 microns by 1000 microns.

Claim 7

A detector as set forth in claim 3 wherein said third electrode means has a length within a range of approximately 0.001 cm to approximately 100 cm.

Claim 8

A detector as set forth in claim 1 wherein the resonant frequency of said transmission line means is within a range of several hundred KHz to approximately 1000 GHz.

Claim 9

A detector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said detector is responsive to radiation within a spectral band of from one or more centimeters to one or more Angstroms.

Claim 10

A detector as set forth in claim 2 wherein said third electrode means is comprised of a high current density polycrystalline or a nominally single crystalline film layer.

Claim 11

A detector as set forth in claim 2 wherein at least the third electrode means and the radiation absorbing electrode means are comprised of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of Pb, Nb, NbN, superconducting compounds having an A-15 crystal structure, Nb 3 (M) where M is Sn, Al or Ge, or compounds based on compositions containing (Y, Ba, Cu, O), (Bi, Sr, Ca, Cu, O), (Tl, Ba, Ca, Cu, O) and elemental replacements or substitutions thereof.

Claim 12

A detector as set forth in claim 2 wherein the dielectric material is comprised of an amorphous polycrystalline insulator, a crystalline insulator, or a thinned single crystal superconductor substrate material.

Claim 13

A detector as set forth in claim 2 wherein the dielectric material is selected from the group consisting essentially of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, aluminum, magnesium, zirconium, rare-earth or niobium oxides, epitaxially grown layers comprised of compounds related to adjacent superconducting material, oxides of Mg, Al, strontium titanate, lanthanum gallate, lanthanum aluminate or combinations thereof.

Claim 14

A detector as set forth in claim 1 and further comprising a substrate and a second superconducting transmission line means disposed between the first superconducting transmission line means and the substrate.

Claim 15

A detector as set forth in claim 13 wherein the substrate is comprised of a material selected for generating a minimal number of Compton electrons.

Claim 16

A detector as set forth in claim 13 wherein the substrate is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting essentially of silicon, sapphire, lanthanum aluminate or combinations thereof.

Claim 17

A frequency domain radiation detector comprising at least two transmission line means each having a resonant frequency and an input port for coupling to a frequency source, a first one of the transmission line means being responsive to incident radiation that is absorbed in a closely adjacent electrode means for having induced therein a detectable change in the resonant frequency, each of said transmission line means having an output port for coupling to an event detector means for detecting a substantially simultaneous occurrence of a change in output frequency of each of the transmission line means for indicating an occurrence of a noise event.

Claim 18

A frequency domain radiation detector comprising at least two transmission line means each having a resonant frequency and an input port for coupling to a frequency source, a first one of the transmission line means being responsive to incident radiation that is absorbed in a closely adjacent electrode means for having induced therein a detectable change in the resonant frequency, each of said transmission line means having an output port for coupling to an event detector means for detecting a substantially simultaneous occurrence of a change in output frequency of each of the transmission line means for indicating an occurrence of a noise event.

Claim 19

A frequency domain radiation detector as set forth in claim 16 wherein each of said transmission line means is comprised of superconducting material and has a substantially linear shape having a width within a range of approximately 0.1 micron to approximately 1000 microns, said superconducting transmission line means being repetitively folded within a region and having a total length within a range of approximately 0.001 cm to approximately 100 cm and a resonant frequency within a range of several hundred KHz to approximate 1000 GHz.

Claim 20

A frequency domain radiation detector as set forth in claim 16 wherein the second one of the transmission line means is disposed such that it is not significantly influenced by the incident radiation that is absorbed by the electrode means closely adjacent to the first one of the transmission line means.

Claim 21

A frequency domain radiation detector for detecting radiation within a spectral band, the radiation detector comprising a substrate, a first RF ground electrode overlying the substrate, a first dielectric layer overlying the first RF ground electrode, a first transmission line electrode overlying the first dielectric layer, the first transmission line electrode being comprised of a patterned superconductive film, a second dielectric layer overlying the first transmission line electrode, a second RF ground electrode overlying the second dielectric layer, a third dielectric layer overlying the second RF ground electrode, a second transmission line electrode overlying the third dielectric layer, the second transmission line electrode being comprised of a patterned superconductive film, a fourth dielectric layer overlying the second transmission line electrode, and a third RF ground electrode overlying the fourth dielectric layer, the third RF ground electrode having a thickness such that substantially all radiation within the spectral band incident thereon is absorbed therein and induces a change in a kinetic inductance of the second transmission line electrode for changing the phase velocity and resonant frequency of the second transmission line electrode.

Claim 22

A frequency domain radiation detector for detecting radiation within a spectral band, the radiation detector comprising a substrate, a first RF ground electrode overlying the substrate, a first dielectric layer overlying the first RF ground electrode, a first transmission line electrode overlying the first dielectric layer, the first transmission line electrode being comprised of a patterned superconductive film, a second dielectric layer overlying the first transmission line electrode, a second RF ground electrode overlying the second dielectric layer, a third dielectric layer overlying the second RF ground electrode, a second transmission line electrode overlying the third dielectric layer, the second transmission line electrode being comprised of a patterned superconductive film, a fourth dielectric layer overlying the second transmission line electrode, and a third RF ground electrode overlying the fourth dielectric layer, the third RF ground electrode having a thickness such that substantially all radiation within the spectral band incident thereon is absorbed therein and induces a change in a kinetic inductance of the second transmission line electrode for changing the phase velocity and resonant frequency of the second transmission line electrode.

Claim 23

A detector as set forth in claim 19 wherein at least the first and the second transmission line electrodes and the third RF ground electrode are each comprised of a superconducting material.

Claim 24

A detector as set forth in claim 19 wherein the spectral band extends from one or more centimeters to one or more Angstroms.

Claim 25

A detector as set forth in claim 19 wherein the first and the second transmission line electrodes are each comprised of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of Pb, Nb, NbN, superconducting compounds having an A-15 crystal structure, Nb 3 (M) where M is Sn, Al or Ge, or compounds based on compositions containing (Y, Ba, Cu, O), (Bi, Sr, Ca, Cu, O), (Tl, Ba, Ca, Cu, O) and elemental replacements or substitutions thereof.

Claim 26

A detector as set forth in claim 19 wherein the first, second, third and fourth dielectric layers are each comprised of an amorphous polycrystalline insulator, a crystalline insulator, or a thinned single crystal superconductor substrate material.

Claim 27

A detector as set forth in claim 19 wherein the first, second, third and fourth dielectric layers are each comprised of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, aluminum, magnesium, zirconium, rare-earth or niobium oxides, epitaxially grown layers comprised of compounds related to adjacent superconducting material, oxides of Mg, Al, Strontium Titanate, Lanthanum Gallate, Lanthanum Aluminate or combinations thereof.

Claim 28

A detector as set forth in claim 19 wherein at least the first transmission line electrode, the second transmission line electrode, the second RF ground electrode and the third RF ground electrode are each comprised of a material selected from the group consisting essentially of Pb, Nb, NbN, superconducting compounds having an A-15 crystal structure, Nb 3 (M) where M is Sn, Al or Ge, or compounds based on compositions containing (Y, Ba, Cu, O), (Bi, Sr, Ca, Cu, O), (Tl, Ba, Ca, Cu, O) and elemental replacements or substitutions thereof.

Claim 29

A detector as set forth in claim 19 wherein the first and the second transmission line electrodes each have an input port for coupling to a frequency source and an output port for coupling to an event detector means for detecting a substantially simultaneous occurrence of a change in output frequency of each of the transmission line electrodes for indicating an occurrence of a noise event.