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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/J40645/01
Title: SUPERCONDUCTING TUNNEL JUNCTIONS: FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE AND EVALUATION AS HIGH RESOLUTION SPECTROMETERS.
Principal Investigator: Sumner, Professor TJ
Other Investigators:
Blamire, Professor M Rochester, Dr G Evetts, Professor J
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department: Physics
Organisation: Imperial College London
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 30 November 1993 Ends: 29 November 1995 Value (£): 32,226
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Condensed Matter Physics
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Related Grants:
Panel History:  
Summary on Grant Application Form
This programme is aimed at understanding the effect of material properties and device design on quasiparticle transmission in superconducting device heterostructures. In particular we wish to investigate quantitatively the effect of spatial variation in the superconducting energy gap on quasiparticle propagation. We have previously shown that deliverately created spatial variation can confine quasiparticles in regions favourable for tunneling and hence detection. This research is aimed at maximising the benefit using this technique and to investigate the less well understood effect of defects in the sample microstructure. Although the present technique of directly injecting quasiparticles using adjacent tunnel junctions allows control of both their position and energy and has provided a considerable amount of useful information, it is vital to compare the results obtained when quasiparticles are generated by absorbed photons or particles. It is only by understanding this relationship that we can hope to develop designs which optimise the quasiparticle-mediated response to particle injection. This should then allow the development of a variety of photon and particle spectrometers with good energy resolution.
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Organisation Website: http://www.imperial.ac.uk