Electronic coolers based on superconducting tunnel junctions: fundamentals and applications

Hervé Courtois (1) , Frank. W. J. Hekking (2) , Hung Q. Nguyen (3) , Clemens Winkelmann (1)

1 NEEL - QuNES - Nano-Electronique Quantique et Spectroscopie
2 LPM2C - Laboratoire de physique et modélisation des milieux condensés
3 O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory

Thermo-electric transport at the nano-scale is a rapidly developing topic, in particular in superconductor-based hybrid devices. In this review paper, we first discuss the fundamental principles of electronic cooling in mesoscopic superconducting hybrid structures, the related limitations and applications. We review recent work performed in Grenoble on the effects of Andreev reflection, photonic heat transport, phonon cooling, as well as on an innovative fabrication technique for powerful coolers.

Domaines: Supraconductivité [cond-mat.supr-con]

Hervé Courtois, Frank. W. J. Hekking, Hung Q. Nguyen, Clemens Winkelmann. Electronic coolers based on superconducting tunnel junctions: fundamentals and applications. Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 2014, 175 (5-6), pp.799. ⟨10.1007/s10909-014-1101-0⟩. ⟨hal-00985499⟩