Noise mechanisms in superconducting tunnel-junction detectors

We present a theory and measurements of noise mechanisms in superconducting tunnel-junction detectors used as single-photon spectrometers. These mechanisms result from incomplete cooling of the excited quasiparticles in the tunnel-junction electrode. Due to the incomplete cooling, only a fraction of the initially created charge is collected by tunneling. Additional effects include reduced dynamic resistance, voltage dependence of the integrated charge, and increased statistical broadening of the signal. We demonstrate these noise mechanisms in our device, and show that they explain the measured energy resolution of 25 eV at 5.9 keV. We also suggest ways to reduce their contribution in future devices.