Generating local cryogenic region with laser cooling to enable circuit operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current superconducting nanowire single photon detectors (SNSPDs) require conventional cryo-coolers using liquid helium, which are not suitable for satellite platforms due to stringent size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements and limited operational lifetimes.
Innovation Solution
A system for optical cooling using fluorescence up-conversion, where a first waveguide is configured to provide optical cooling by interacting with cooling light delivered via an optical fiber, creating a zone of local optical refrigeration that optically cools an adjacent second waveguide, enabling the operation of SNSPDs without the need for conventional cryogenic cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional cryo-coolers using liquid helium are used to cool SNSPDs, then the detectors can operate at required cryogenic temperatures, but the system size, weight, and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooling function into separate segments: a first waveguide dedicated to optical cooling and a second waveguide for signal transmission. This segmentation allows the cooling mechanism to be localized and integrated without requiring a bulky conventional cryo-cooler system, thereby reducing overall system weight while maintaining cryogenic temperatures at the detector location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical conventional cryo-cooler system with an optical cooling mechanism using laser-induced fluorescence up-conversion. This substitution eliminates the need for heavy mechanical cooling equipment while achieving the same cryogenic temperature requirement, directly addressing the weight reduction goal.
2Temperature
If conventional cryo-coolers using liquid helium are used to cool SNSPDs, then the detectors can operate at required cryogenic temperatures, but the system complexity and operational lifetime limitations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical cryo-cooler systems with a simpler optical cooling approach using laser light and fluorescence up-conversion in a waveguide. This substitution reduces system complexity by eliminating moving parts, seals, and maintenance-intensive components while achieving the same temperature control function.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical cooling system utilizes the waveguide structure itself as the cooling medium, where the waveguide material absorbs pump light and re-emits at higher frequencies, creating a self-contained cooling mechanism that does not require external cryo-cooler equipment or complex thermal management systems.
3Temperature
If conventional cryo-coolers using liquid helium are used to cool SNSPDs, then the detectors can operate at required cryogenic temperatures, but the power consumption and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces energy-intensive mechanical cryo-cooler systems with an optical cooling mechanism that uses laser light absorption and fluorescence up-conversion. This substitution reduces power consumption by eliminating the need for compressors, refrigeration cycles, and associated high-power components while maintaining the required cryogenic temperatures.
4Temperature
If conventional cryo-coolers using liquid helium are used to cool SNSPDs, then the detectors can operate at required cryogenic temperatures, but the system is not suitable for satellite platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling function into a localized optical cooling waveguide that can be independently integrated into satellite payloads. This segmentation allows the cooling mechanism to be adapted to space-constrained satellite platforms without requiring large conventional cryo-cooler systems, enabling satellite deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical cryo-cooler systems with an optical cooling mechanism using laser-induced fluorescence up-conversion in a waveguide. This substitution creates a compact, maintenance-free system suitable for the constrained environment of satellite platforms, directly enabling space-based quantum communication applications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for direct, local, and potentially time-pulsed cooling of a microscopic volume around an optical waveguide, enabling the operation of SNSPDs with reduced SWaP and extended operational lifetimes, suitable for satellite deployment.
Implementation Method 1
A first waveguide is configured to provide optical cooling by fluorescence up-conversion
Data Source
AI summary
A system for optical cooling comprises a substrate and a first waveguide supported by the substrate, with the first waveguide configured to provide optical cooling by fluorescence up-conversion. A first optical fiber is coupled to the first waveguide, with the first optical fiber configured to deliver cooling light to the first waveguide. A second waveguide is supported by the substrate, with the second waveguide adjacent to or coincident with the first waveguide. The interaction of the cooling light with the first waveguide produces a zone of local optical refrigeration based on the fluorescence up-conversion, such that the second waveguide is optically cooled by physical proximity to the first waveguide.