skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Measurements of the amplitude-dependent microwave surface resistance of an Au/Nb bilayer
Abstract Surface properties are critical to the capabilities of superconducting microwave devices. The native oxide of niobium-based devices is thought to consist of a thin normal conducting layer. To improve understanding on the importance of this layer, an attempt was made to replace it with a more easily controlled gold film. A niobium sample host microwave cavity was used to measure the surface resistance in continuous wave operation at 4.0 GHz and 5.2 GHz . Sample conditions studied include temperatures ranging from 1.6 K to 4.2 K with RF magnetic fields on the sample surface ranging from 1 mT to the maximum field before the superconducting properties were lost (quench field). The nominal film thickness of the gold layer was increased from 0.1 nm to 2.0 nm in five steps to study the impact of the normal layer thickness on surface resistance on a single niobium substrate. The 0.1 nm film was found to reduce the surface resistance of the sample and to enhance the quench field. With the exception of the final step from a 1.5 nm gold film to 2.0 nm , the magnitude of the surface resistance increased substantially with gold film thickness. The nature of the surface resistance field-dependence appeared to be roughly independent from the gold layer thickness. This initial study provides new perspectives and suggests avenues for optimizing and designing surfaces for resonant cavities in particle accelerators and quantum information applications.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1719875
PAR ID:
10549106
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Publisher / Repository:
IOP Publishing
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Superconductor Science and Technology
Volume:
36
Issue:
11
ISSN:
0953-2048
Page Range / eLocation ID:
115009
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract Environmental seismic disturbances limit the sensitivity of LIGO gravitational wave detectors. Trains near the LIGO Livingston detector produce low frequency (0.5– 10 H z ) ground noise that couples into the gravitational wave sensitive frequency band (10– 100 H z ) through light reflected in mirrors and other surfaces. We investigate the effect of trains during the Advanced LIGO third observing run, and propose a method to search for narrow band seismic frequencies responsible for contributing to increases in scattered light. Through the use of the linear regression tool Lasso (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) and glitch correlations, we identify the most common seismic frequencies that correlate with increases in detector noise as 0.6– 0.8 H z , 1.7– 1.9 H z , 1.8– 2.0 H z , and 2.3– 2.5 H z in the LIGO Livingston corner station. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract The sensitivity of urban canopy air temperature ( T a ) to anthropogenic heat flux ( Q A H ) is known to vary with space and time, but the key factors controlling such spatiotemporal variabilities remain elusive. To quantify the contributions of different physical processes to the magnitude and variability of Δ T a / Δ Q A H (where Δ represents a change), we develop a forcing-feedback framework based on the energy budget of air within the urban canopy layer and apply it to diagnosing Δ T a / Δ Q A H simulated by the Community Land Model Urban over the contiguous United States (CONUS). In summer, the median Δ T a / Δ Q A H is around 0.01 K  W  m 2 1 over the CONUS. Besides the direct effect of Q A H on T a , there are important feedbacks through changes in the surface temperature, the atmosphere–canopy air heat conductance ( c a ), and the surface–canopy air heat conductance. The positive and negative feedbacks nearly cancel each other out and Δ T a / Δ Q A H is mostly controlled by the direct effect in summer. In winter, Δ T a / Δ Q A H becomes stronger, with the median value increased by about 20% due to weakened negative feedback associated with c a . The spatial and temporal (both seasonal and diurnal) variability of Δ T a / Δ Q A H as well as the nonlinear response of Δ T a to Δ Q A H are strongly related to the variability of c a , highlighting the importance of correctly parameterizing convective heat transfer in urban canopy models. 
    more » « less
  3. Abstract Objective.In vivoimaging assessments of skeletal muscle structure and function allow for longitudinal quantification of tissue health. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) non-invasively quantifies tissue mechanical properties, allowing for evaluation of skeletal muscle biomechanics in response to loading, creating a better understanding of muscle functional health.Approach. In this study, we analyze the anisotropic mechanical response of calf muscles using MRE with a transversely isotropic, nonlinear inversion algorithm (TI-NLI) to investigate the role of muscle fiber stiffening under load. We estimate anisotropic material parameters including fiber shear stiffness ( μ 1 ), substrate shear stiffness ( μ 2 ), shear anisotropy ( ϕ ), and tensile anisotropy ( ζ ) of the gastrocnemius muscle in response to both passive and active tension.Main results. In passive tension, we found a significant increase in μ 1 , ϕ , and ζ with increasing muscle length. While in active tension, we observed increasing μ 2 and decreasing ϕ and ζ during active dorsiflexion and plantarflexion—indicating less anisotropy—with greater effects when the muscles act as agonist.Significance. The study demonstrates the ability of this anisotropic MRE method to capture the multifaceted mechanical response of skeletal muscle to tissue loading from muscle lengthening and contraction. 
    more » « less
  4. Abstract The stratospheric influence on summertime high surface ozone ( O 3 ) events is examined using a twenty-year simulation from the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model. We find that O 3 transported from the stratosphere makes a significant contribution to the surface O 3 variability where background surface O 3 exceeds the 95thpercentile, especially over western U.S. Maximum covariance analysis is applied to O 3 anomalies paired with stratospheric O 3 tracer anomalies to identify the stratospheric intrusion and the underlying dynamical mechanism. The first leading mode corresponds to deep stratospheric intrusions in the western and northern tier of the U.S., and intensified northeasterlies in the mid-to-lower troposphere along the west coast, which also facilitate the transport to the eastern Pacific Ocean. The second leading mode corresponds to deep intrusions over the Intermountain Regions. Both modes are associated with eastward propagating baroclinic systems, which are amplified near the end of the North Pacific storm tracks, leading to strong descents over the western U.S. 
    more » « less
  5. A theoretical analysis on crack formation and propagation was performed based on the coupling between the electrochemical process, classical elasticity, and fracture mechanics. The chemical potential of oxygen, thus oxygen partial pressure, at the oxygen electrode-electrolyte interface ( μ O 2 OE∣El ) was investigated as a function of transport properties, electrolyte thickness and operating conditions (e.g., steam concentration, constant current, and constant voltage). Our analysis shows that: a lower ionic area specific resistance (ASR), r i O E , and a higher electronic ASR ( r e O E ) of the oxygen electrode/electrolyte interface are in favor of suppressing crack formation. The μ O 2 O E E l , thus local pO2, are sensitive towards the operating parameters under galvanostatic or potentiostatic electrolysis. Constant current density electrolysis provides better robustness, especially at a high current density with a high steam content. While constant voltage electrolysis leads to greater variations of μ O 2 O E E l . Constant current electrolysis, however, is not suitable for an unstable oxygen electrode because μ O 2 O E E l can reach a very high value with a gradually increased r i O E . A crack may only occur under certain conditions when p O 2 T P B > p c r .  
    more » « less