Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2509.21951

Extending the optical absorption in a lumped element meander structure to far-infrared wavelengths

Shekhar Chandra Pandey·Shilpam Sharma·Anudeep Singh·Utkarsh Pandey·S. S. Prabhu·Bhaskar Biswas·Sona Chandran·M. K. Chattopadhyay
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Superconducting radiation detectors typically exhibit detection and single photon sensitivity limited to the mid infrared wavelength range. Extending their detection capabilities into the far infrared range (>10 um) requires careful selection of substrate materials and detector geometries. The overall detection efficiency is linked to absorption and coupling efficiencies. In this study, the resonator geometry and absorption efficiency were estimated using electromagnetic simulations in CST Microwave Studio for a lumped-element meander structure. Simulations were performed for the 12 to 50 um wavelength range, corresponding to the Infrared Free Electron Laser (IR FEL) at RRCAT, Indore. Absorption in the meander inductor was influenced by the substrate material, thickness, and impedance matching between the detector and incident photon medium. The results indicate that SiO2 and diamond substrates are suitable for developing lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKID) in this range. Optimized meander geometries on diamond substrates demonstrated absorption efficiencies of up to 95% for narrow bandwidths and over 50% for wide bandwidths. A 30-pixel LEKID structure was fabricated using electron beam lithography on a 500 um SiO2 coated Si substrate, with a 20 nm thick Ti40V60 alloy resonator. Experimental absorption efficiency was determined through transmission and reflection measurements. Results show that in the 14 to 26 um IR-FEL range, the LEKID achieved up to 75% absorption efficiency. These studies demonstrate that the LEKID structure is ideal for detecting far infrared wavelengths above 10 um, with high absorption efficiency.

Explore related subjects

cond-mat.supr-con

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Shekhar Chandra Pandey, Shilpam Sharma, Anudeep Singh, Utkarsh Pandey, S. S. Prabhu, Bhaskar Biswas, Sona Chandran, M. K. Chattopadhyay. 2025-09-29. Extending the optical absorption in a lumped element meander structure to far-infrared wavelengths. https://doi.org/10.1109/tasc.2026.3686561

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Hidden magnetic order within the pressure induced superconducting dome of UTe2

Unconventional superconductivity typically occurs near magnetic instabilities, and the corresponding spin fluctuations are widely believed to play a crucial role in mediating electron pairing. UTe$_2$ is a promising candidate for exhibiting multiple spin-triplet superconducting phases when tuning with applied pressure and magnetic fields, but the nature of the magnetism driving these unconventional pairing states is undetermined. Our measurements of UTe$_2$ under applied pressures and magnetic fields reveal the presence of a magnetic order hidden within the pressure-induced superconducting dome, which vanishes together with the superconductivity once there is sufficiently high pressure to induce the three-dimensional antiferromagnetic phase. Extrapolation of the phase boundary of the hidden magnetic order, which is most likely antiferromagnetic in nature, points to a zero-temperature quantum critical point that coincides with the maximum transition temperature of the pressure-induced superconducting dome, suggesting that it could corresponds to the parent magnetic phase of the critical antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations driving the triplet superconductivity. These findings advance the understanding of the interplay of magnetism and superconductivity in an exemplar candidate triplet superconductor, which is necessary for revealing the microscopic origin of the different unconventional superconducting phases.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2026

Superconducting spin valve as a sensitive probe of spin-orbit coupling anisotropy

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) plays a central role in modern condensed matter physics and is crucial for the development of spin-based devices and quantum technologies. In particular, the interplay between Rashba SOC (R-SOC), arising from structural inversion asymmetry, and Dresselhaus SOC (D-SOC), due to bulk inversion asymmetry, significantly influences spin coherence and manipulation in two-dimensional and topological systems. Disentangling these SOC components is essential for spintronics, superconducting spintronics, or topological superconductivity. In this study, we experimentally investigate in-plane low-bias conductance anisotropy in epitaxial Fe/MgO/V/MgO/Fe/Co junctions under varying temperature and magnetic field conditions. By applying a theoretical model that accounts for distinct R-SOC and D-SOC contributions, we interpret the observed anisotropy as a reliable method to disentangle these effects. Comparison between experiment and theory reveals a 5 % contribution of D-SOC to total SOC, attributed to periodic interfacial lattice mismatch defects confirmed by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Our findings offer a practical approach to isolate interfacial SOC components in superconducting spintronic systems with implications for engineering in spintronic and quantum devices, and provide further evidence of superconducting spin-triplet pairing in Fe/MgO/V-based superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures.

cond-mat.supr-con↗
arXiv2026

Nodal Orbital-Anti-Phase Superconducting State in Bilayer Nickelates

The recent discovery of high-$T_c$ superconductivity in the bilayer nickelate La$_3$Ni$_2$O$_7$ (La-327) under applied pressure and compressive strain opened a new avenue to elucidate the interplay between multiorbital intralayer and interlayer electronically driven Cooper-pairing in bilayer systems. Depending on the details of the electronic structure in the normal state, the superconducting gap in bilayer nickelates is predicted to have either bonding-antibonding $s_{\pm}$-wave symmetry, driven by dominant interlayer Cooper-pairing, or $d$-wave symmetry with substantial intralayer Cooper-pairing. Despite this general picture, the orbital structure of the superconducting gap in these multiorbital systems has been less explored. Here, we analyze the consequences of an orbital-anti-phase structure of the superconducting gap and discuss its possible experimental signatures. We demonstrate that additional pairs of nodes may appear on the $α$ and/or $β$ Fermi surface sheets due to the sign change of the superconducting gap between the involved orbitals. Apart from this additional nodal structure, which is not enforced by the symmetries of the gap function and can be probed in ARPES experiments, the orbital-anti-phase gap modifies the temperature dependence of the superfluid stiffness at low temperatures, providing a concrete experimental prediction to test its realization in bilayer nickelates and related multiorbital systems.

cond-mat.supr-con↗