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An Investigation of the possibility of charged particle detection using tunneling between superconductors Wood, Gordon Harvey

Abstract

A study has been made which demonstrates the feasibility of developing a nuclear particle detector utilizing tunneling between superconductors. For optimum detector performance, temperatures lower than 1.2°K are mandatory. Accordingly, a He⁴ cryostat capable of being modified to a He³ cryostat has been constructed and tested. The detectors, which have been fabricated and tested at 1.4° K, consist of thin aluminum and lead films separated by an insulating layer of aluminum oxide. The d-c tunneling currents have been observed and are found to compare favourably with the results of previous workers. The d-c response of the device to gamma radiation was, as expected, unobservable.

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