Nanoscale Electronics and Optoelectronics

Research by the Santavicca Group

We study solid-state systems with one or more dimensions on the nanometer scale. These systems provide a testbed for studying physics in lower dimensions and can display behavior strikingly different from macroscopic systems. We are also interested in developing new electronic and optoelectronic devices that exploit the unique properties of nanoscale systems. Current work focuses on one particular system, the superconducting nanowire. We are particularly interested in nanowires with high kinetic inductance and their application as single-photon detectors and microwave devices. 

Recent Publications

• "Optimization of superconducting niobium nitride thin films via high-power impulse magnetron sputtering," H.T. Horne, C.M. Hugo, B.C. Reid, and D.F. Santavicca, Supercond. Sci. Technol. 37, 125017 (2024) [journal] [arXiv]
• "Scaling up single-photon detector arrays (News & Views)," D.F. Santavicca, Nature Photonics 17, 10–11 (2023) [journal]
• "50 Ω transmission lines with extreme wavelength compression based on superconducting nanowires on high-permittivity substrates," D.F. Santavicca, M. Colangelo, C.R. Eagle, M.P. Warusawithana, and K.K. Berggren, Appl. Phys. Lett. 119, 252601 (2021) [journal] [arXiv]
• "Compact and tunable forward coupler based on high-impedance superconducting nanowires," M. Colangelo, D. Zhu, D.F. Santavicca, B.A. Butters, J.C. Bienfang, and K.K. Berggren, Phys. Rev. Applied 15, 024064 (2021) [journal] [arXiv]
• "Nanopatterning of Cu-ligated mercaptoalkanoic acid multilayers on Si substrates via atomic force lithography," A.M. Patron, A.M. Bramer, D.F. Santavicca, and T.J. Mullen, J. Phys. Chem. C 124, 1214-1219 (2020) [journal]
• "Superconducting nanowire single-photon detector with integrated impedance-matching taper," D. Zhu, M. Colangelo, B.A. Korzh, Q.-Y. Zhao, S. Frasca, A.E. Dane, A.E. Velasco, A.D. Beyer, J.P. Allmaras, E. Ramirez, W.J. Strickland, D.F. Santavicca, M.D. Shaw, and K.K. Berggren, Appl. Phys. Lett. 114, 042601 (2019) [journal] [arXiv]
• "Jitter Characterization of a Dual-Readout SNSPD," D. F. Santavicca, B. Noble, C. Kilgore, G. A. Wurtz, M. Colangelo, D. Zhu, and K. K. Berggren, IEEE Trans. Appl. Supercond. 29, 2200504 (2019) [journal] [arXiv]

A full publication list can be found on Google Scholar.

Textbook

Electronics for Scientists, D.F. Santavicca, CRC Press (2024) [publisher]