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Department of Physics

The Cavendish Laboratory
 
Quantum Sensors

Quantum Sensors : Staff

The Quantum Sensor Group (QS) operates a major facility for investigating, manufacturing and testing a new generation of superconducting detectors and sensors for astrophysics and the applied sciences. Much of the work relates to large-format superconducting cameras and receivers for millimetre-wave, submillimetre-wave and far-infrared wavelengths.

The Group runs one of the most advanced fabrication facilities worldwide for superconducting microcircuits, and explores the limits of quantum detection and sensing. Topics include:

  • Heat flow and thermal fluctuation noise in low-dimensional structures at 100mK
  • Non-equilibrium superconductivity through above-gap and sub-gap photon and phonon excitation
  • Partially coherent optics and electromagnetism
  • Detector materials science, mesoscopic device processing, and quantum measurement techniques
  • Transition Edge Sensors, Kinetic Inductance Detectors, >1THz SIS mixers, SQUIDs, and quantum Q bits.
  • Energy Absorption Interferometry for measuring coherent phenomena in energy absorbing structures

The Group works with many international agencies, and under an ESA contract is currently developing 200-20 micron ultra-low-noise imaging arrays for the Japanese cooled-aperture space telescope SPICA.
 

Subspecialties

Detector Technology
 
Facilities
 

Image Credit: Quantum Sensors Group