Measurements of the amplitude-dependent microwave surface resistance of an Au/Nb bilayer

Abstract

AbstractSurface 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 at4.0GHzand5.2GHz. Sample conditions studied include temperatures ranging from1.6Kto4.2Kwith RF magnetic fields on the sample surface ranging from∼1mTto the maximum field before the superconducting properties were lost (quench field). The nominal film thickness of the gold layer was increased from0.1nmto2.0nmin five steps to study the impact of the normal layer thickness on surface resistance on a single niobium substrate. The0.1nmfilm was found to reduce the surface resistance of the sample and to enhance the quench field. With the exception of the final step from a1.5nmgold film to2.0nm, 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.