Superconducting components for infrared and millimeter-wave receivers

The superconducting components developed for infrared and millimeter-wave receivers are reviewed. A brief description is given of the scientific principles on which each device is based, followed by a discussion of the performance that has been achieved in terms of the appropriate figures of merit. Comments are made about the possibility that useful device performance can be achieved by using the new high-T_c oxide superconductors. The authors emphasize photon-assisted quasi-particle tunneling and the superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) quasi-particle mixer, which is the only superconducting component to find substantial applications at infrared or millimeter wavelengths. Descriptions are given of the SIS quasi-particle direct detector, the Josephson effect oscillator, the Josephson effect parametric amplifier, and the various superconducting bolometers, for which practical applications appear possible. The less promising Josephson-effect detector and mixer and the various ideas for superconducting photon detectors are described because of the current interest in possible high-T_c versions of these devices