JOSEPHSON-JUNCTION ARRAYS AS PHOTOFLUXONIC DETECTORS

The possible use of Josephson Junction Arrays as fast photofluxonic de tectors of radiation is discussed. This application is based on the ca pability of the incoming radiation to induce the creation and tile unb inding of quantized excitations (vortices and/or antivortices): that t hen propagate apart across the array. Such detectors may in principle offer spatial and/or energy resolution and should be interfaceable wit h very fast charge integrators and amplifiers based on semiconducting technology. The basic features of the detector are studied as a functi on of the detector geometry, the de bias current and the magnetic pene tration depth of the array.