Lipid bilayer membranes--ubiquitous in biological systems and closely associated with cell function--exhibit rich shape-transition behaviour, including bud formation and vesicle fission. Membranes formed from multiple lipid components can laterally separate into coexisting liquid phases, or domains, with distinct compositions. This process, which may resemble raft formation in cell membranes, has been directly observed in giant unilamellar vesicles. Detailed theoretical frameworks link the elasticity of domains and their boundary properties to the shape adopted by membranes and the formation of particular domain patterns, but it has been difficult to experimentally probe and validate these theories. Here we show that high-resolution fluorescence imaging using two dyes preferentially labelling different fluid phases directly provides a correlation between domain composition and local membrane curvature. Using freely suspended membranes of giant unilamellar vesicles, we are able to optically resolve curvature and line tension interactions of circular, stripe and ring domains. We observe long-range domain ordering in the form of locally parallel stripes and hexagonal arrays of circular domains, curvature-dependent domain sorting, and membrane fission into separate vesicles at domain boundaries. By analysing our observations using available membrane theory, we are able to provide experimental estimates of boundary tension between fluid bilayer domains.

Imaging coexisting fluid domains in biomembrane models coupling curvature and line tension

Cryogenic detectors are extremely sensitive and have a wide variety of applications (particularly in astronomy), but are difficult to integrate into large arrays like a modern CCD (charge-coupled device) camera. As current detectors of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) already have sensitivities comparable to the noise arising from the random arrival of CMB photons, the further gains in sensitivity needed to probe the very early Universe will have to arise from large arrays. A similar situation is encountered at other wavelengths. Single-pixel X-ray detectors now have a resolving power of ΔE < 5 eV for single 6-keV photons, and future X-ray astronomy missions anticipate the need for 1,000-pixel arrays. Here we report the demonstration of a superconducting detector that is easily fabricated and can readily be incorporated into such an array. Its sensitivity is already within an order of magnitude of that needed for CMB observations, and its energy resolution is similarly close to the targets required for future X-ray astronomy missions.

A broadband superconducting detector suitable for use in large arrays

https://engineering.purdue.edu/~tsfisher/ME595M/Lepri%20thermal%20cond%20review%202004.pdf

Thermal conduction in classical low-dimensional lattices

This review presents an overview of the thermal properties of mesoscopic structures. The discussion is based on the concept of electron energy distribution, and, in particular, on controlling and probing it. The temperature of an electron gas is determined by this distribution: refrigeration is equivalent to narrowing it, and thermometry is probing its convolution with a function characterizing the measuring device. Temperature exists, strictly speaking, only in quasiequilibrium in which the distribution follows the Fermi-Dirac form. Interesting nonequilibrium deviations can occur due to slow relaxation rates of the electrons, e.g., among themselves or with lattice phonons. Observation and applications of nonequilibrium phenomena are also discussed. The focus in this paper is at low temperatures, primarily below $4\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$, where physical phenomena on mesoscopic scales and hybrid combinations of various types of materials, e.g., superconductors, normal metals, insulators, and doped semiconductors, open up a rich variety of device concepts. This review starts with an introduction to theoretical concepts and experimental results on thermal properties of mesoscopic structures. Then thermometry and refrigeration are examined with an emphasis on experiments. An immediate application of solid-state refrigeration and thermometry is in ultrasensitive radiation detection, which is discussed in depth. This review concludes with a summary of pertinent fabrication methods of presented devices.

/pdf/opportunities-for-mesoscopics-in-thermometry-and-10z63yzsh2.pdf

Opportunities for mesoscopics in thermometry and refrigeration: Physics and applications

The physics of mesoscopic electronic systems has been explored for more than 15 years. Mesoscopic phenomena in transport processes occur when the wavelength or the coherence length of the carriers becomes comparable to, or larger than, the sample dimensions. One striking result in this domain is the quantization of electrical conduction, observed in a quasi-one-dimensional constriction formed between reservoirs of two-dimensional electron gas. The conductance of this system is determined by the number of participating quantum states or 'channels' within the constriction; in the ideal case, each spin-degenerate channel contributes a quantized unit of 2e^2/h to the electrical conductance. It has been speculated that similar behaviour should be observable for thermal transport in mesoscopic phonon systems. But experiments attempted in this regime have so far yielded inconclusive results. Here we report the observation of a quantized limiting value for the thermal conductance, G_(th), in suspended insulating nanostructures at very low temperatures. The behaviour we observe is consistent with predictions for phonon transport in a ballistic, one-dimensional channel: at low temperatures, G_(th) approaches a maximum value of g_0 = π^2k^2BT/3h, the universal quantum of thermal conductance.

Measurement of the quantum of thermal conductance

We have measured the thermal conductance, G, of ≈1 μm thick low stress silicon nitride membranes over the temperature range, 0.06 4 K, G is independent of surface condition indicating that the thermal transport is determined by bulk scattering. For T<4 K, scattering from membrane surfaces becomes significant. Membranes which have submicron sized Ag particles glued to the surface or are micromachined into narrow strips have a G that is reduced by a factor as large as 5 compared with that of clean, solid membranes with the same ratio of cross section to length.

Measurements of thermal transport in low stress silicon nitride films

We present the design and experimental evaluation of a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) multiplexer for an array of low-temperature sensors. Each sensor is inductively coupled to a superconducting summing loop which, in turn, is inductively coupled to the readout SQUID. The flux-locked loop of the SQUID is used to null the current in the summing loop and thus cancel crosstalk. The sensors are biased with an alternating current, each with a separate frequency, and the individual sensor signals are separated by lock-in detection at the SQUID output. We have fabricated a prototype 8 channel multiplexer and discuss the application to a larger array.

Single superconducting quantum interference device multiplexer for arrays of low-temperature sensors

We describe the fabrication and characterization of superconducting transition-edge bolometers for astrophysical applications at far-infrared and mm wavelengths The sensor is voltage biased and the current is measured with a superconducting quantum interference ammeter Strong negative electrothermal feedback keeps the sensor temperature nearly constant, reduces the response time significantly, and improves linearity It also makes the responsivity relatively insensitive to changes in optical background loading and refrigerator temperature The bolometers are made using standard microlithographic techniques suitable for fabrication of large scale arrays Detailed measurements of optical response are presented for a range of bias conditions and are compared with theory Measured noise spectra are shown and a model for the noise is presented

http://bolo.berkeley.edu/bolometers/vsb_APL2.pdf

A fully lithographed voltage-biased superconducting spiderweb bolometer

We describe a design for bolometric detectors of infrared and mm-wave radiation produced in large-format filled arrays by standard planar lithography. A square grid of metallized silicon nitride absorbs the radiation. The bolometer suspension, sensor, and wiring occupy a small fraction of the area. We have produced a 1024 element array of fully released and suspended 1.5 mm×1.5 mm bolometer micromeshes with a filling factor of 88%. We describe a voltage-biased superconducting bolometer built as a prototype for one array element. We have measured noise equivalent power =2.3×10−17 W/Hz, τ=24 ms, and G=2.7×10−11 W/K at 304 mK.

Monolithic arrays of absorber-coupled voltage-biased superconducting bolometers

In the current generation of high-T/sub c/ bolometers the thermal conductance is often chosen for a short time-constant rather than for optimal sensitivity. We describe a novel bolometer bias and readout scheme that promises to relax this constraint. Voltage bias of the superconductor results in strong negative electrothermal feedback that greatly reduces the time-constant of the bolometer. We estimate that a decrease of more than one order of magnitude in time-constant should be possible with existing high-T/sub c/ thermometers. We give theoretical estimates of the performance gain with voltage bias for several bolometers that have been reported in the literature. We find cases where the sensitivity can be greatly improved (by changing the thermal conductance) while holding the time constant fixed and others where the bolometer can be made much faster while maintaining the sensitivity.

/pdf/voltage-biased-high-t-sub-c-superconducting-infrared-302h5tx4gf.pdf

J. M. Gildemeister

Papers

Measurements of thermal transport in low stress silicon nitride films

Single superconducting quantum interference device multiplexer for arrays of low-temperature sensors

A fully lithographed voltage-biased superconducting spiderweb bolometer

Monolithic arrays of absorber-coupled voltage-biased superconducting bolometers

Voltage-biased high-T/sub c/ superconducting infrared bolometers with strong electrothermal feedback