This year the Quantum Technology Finland Centre of Excellence (QTF) annual discovery prize is being awarded to Research Scientist Emma Mykkänen and Senior Scientist Janne Lehtinen from VTT for their work on phonon-blocked junction coolers for scalable electronic refrigeration of quantum technology devices and systems. Compact micro-coolers operating without cryoliquids can have a huge impact on all areas of low-temperature science, by significantly simplifying the cooling technology.
Together with their co-workers, Mykkänen and Lehtinen have demonstrated an electronic cooler device, which not only cools electrons but phonons as well, in a bulk piece of Si, without the need of cold fingers.
The QTF's prize jury reports: “This pioneering demonstration is an experimental breakthrough with technological relevance, yet it is scientifically highly innovative. The device can be envisioned to be used in the future as a platform, to cool some active devices of choice, and it therefore has the potential for applications in many areas, including quantum technology.
The work was performed fully within the QTF, and the scientists utilized the national OtaNano research facilities in Otaniemi, Espoo.
“We would like to thank QTF for supporting our work. It has been significant asset to be part of the center of excellence. In addition, the cooler work has been funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme project EFINED", say the the award winners Janne Lehtinen and Emma Mykkänen.
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VTT's press release on 14 April, 2020: New electronic cooling technology to enable miniaturization of quantum computers
