Fermi Level Modulation at Optical Frequencies and Photoemission in a Metal-Barrier-Superconductor Tunnelling Element
Abstract
40 micro by 40 micro metal-barrier-superconductor electron tunneling elements' responses to visible laser light from an Argon Ion laser are examined. Through an in-depth analysis of the major current producing processes, it is shown that once the impinging E-field is coupled across the barrier, the dominant response results from the modulation of the Fermi level at the applied optical frequency, producing a rectified current due to the nonlinear characteristics of the inelastic tunneling process. The associated implications of this with respect to modulation of a superconducting tunneling current at an optical frequency are discussed, leading to applications such as absolute frequency measurements as well as a master-clock oscillator operating at an optical frequency.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA251273
Entities
People
- Timothy J. Creamer
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology