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 distributed electrical model for superconducting nanowire single photon detectors," Q.-Y. Zhao, D.F Santavicca, D. Zhu, B. Noble, and K.K. Berggren, Appl. Phys. Lett. 113, 082601 (2018) [journal] [arXiv]
• "Prospects for faster, higher-temperature superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (Viewpoint)," D.F. Santavicca, Superconductor Science and Technology 31, 040502 (2018) [journal]
• "Expanding the molecular-ruler process through vapor deposition of hexadecanethiol," A.M. Patron, T.S. Hooker, D.F. Santavicca, C.P. Causey, and T.J. Mullen, Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology 8, 2339-2344 (2017) [journal]
• "Single-photon imager based on a superconducting nanowire delay line," Q.-Y. Zhao, D. Zhu, N. Calandri, A.E. Dane, A.N. McCaughan, F. Bellei, H.-Z. Wang, D.F. Santavicca, and K.K. Berggren, Nature Photonics 11, 247-251 (2017) [journal] [arXiv]
• "Terahertz spectroscopy of individual single-walled carbon nanotubes as a probe of Luttinger-liquid physics," J.D. Chudow, D.F. Santavicca, and D.E. Prober, Nano Letters 16(8), 4909-4916 (2016) [journal]
• "Microwave dynamics of high aspect ratio superconducting nanowires studied using self-resonance," D.F. Santavicca, J.K. Adams, L.E. Grant, A.N. McCaughan and K.K. Berggren, J. Appl. Phys. 119, 234302 (2016) [journal] [arXiv]

A full publication list can be found on Google Scholar.

Textbook

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