New developments in textured and epitaxial NbN superconducting layers for ultimate sensors and RSFQ digital circuits

Abstract
Nitride superconductors and specially niobium nitride are key materials for developing high performance optoelectronic and digital circuits. We are presenting a way to achieve such high frequency devices on R-plane sapphire or MgO substrates. Deposition of thin and flat NbN films with Te above 10 K, low and reproducible penetration depth ( L 250 nm) and surface resistance (Rs) values up to I THz, is required and obtained by sputtering on a substrate heated in the 300-600 °C range. Simple sub-micrometer size HEB bridge structures where patterned even in a very thin (2-5 nm thick) NbN layers offering relaxation times below 30 ps. It is then possible to achieve fast optoelectronic data links and sensors on-chip with high clock frequency NbN RSFQ digital circuits.