Metallic bolometers in periodically interrupted radiation

A theory of metallic bolometers is given for the case that the measured radiation is periodically interrupted. The impedance of a bolometer through which a direct and an alternating current simultaneously flow, is derived generally. Separate solutions are given for bolometers cooled by heat conduction and bolometers with thermal impedance dependent on the temperature. Expressions are derived for the sensitivity and minimum measurable power and the conditions for the choice of a coupling transformer with optimum ratio. In conclusion the lowest value of the minimum power at all measurable by metallic bolometers working in interrupted radiation is determined.Delivered in an abbreviated form. at the congress of the Physics Society of the German Democratic Republic in Leipzig, April 11, 1957.     

The theory of metallic bolometers

In the paper all the important parameters of metallic bolometers are derived on the assumption that cooling only takes place by conduction through the gas surrounding the bolometer and these parameters are described by means of dimensionless relative quantities independent of the dimensions of the bolometer. Universally valid diagrams are given for the dimensionless parameters of metallic bolometers from which the properties of an arbitrary metal bolometer can be determined in a simple way. A general expression is derived for the relative sensitivity of the bolometer containing only the temperature coefficient and the temperature increase of the bolometer above its surroundings.     

Nickel bolometers

A modified method of the production of nickel bolometers and their properties are described. A typical example is a bolometer of dimensions 005×2 mm and resistance 14.9 , the NEP (noise equivalent power) of which is 6.23×10^–11 Wc^–1/2 in air and 1.9×10^–11 Wc^–1/2 in vacuo. The paper also describes the influence of cooling the surroundings with liquid nitrogen on the properties of the bolometer. The NEP of a bolometer that works in vacuo with cooled surroundings is 5 times lower. A method is given for correcting the characteristics of two similar bolometers for use in a d.c. bridge which makes the equilibrium of the bridge independent of bridge-current fluctuations in a large range of current.     

High Precision Characterisation of Semiconductor Bolometers

We describe techniques for testing and characterising semiconductor bolometers, using the bolometer model presented in Sudiwala et. al. [1]. The procedures are illustrated with results from a prototype bolometer for the high frequency instrument (HFI) in the Planck Surveyor cosmic microwave background mission. This is a bolometer using spider-web geometry and a neutron transmutation doped (NTD) germanium thermistor, designed for operation at 100 mK. Details are given of the laboratory facility used to take data at temperatures from 70 mK to 350 mK. This employs an adiabatic demagnetisation refrigerator to cool the detector and optics. The spatial and spectral properties of the optical system are controlled using feedhorns and edge filters. To characterise the bolometer, blanked and optically loaded load curves were measured over a range of temperatures, and the response to modulated radiation was measured as a function of modulation frequency, temperature and bias current. Results for the prototype bolometer show that its behaviour is well represented by an ideal thermal detector down to a temperature of approximately 100 mK. Below this, non-thermal effects such as electron-phonon decoupling or electric field dependent resistance appear to lead to departure from ideal behaviour. The performance was in good agreement with the design goals for the bolometer.     

The influence of background power on the performance of an ideal bolometer

The effects of radiant power loading on the performance of an ideal bolometer are analysed. The operation of the bolometer is characterized in terms of dimensionless parameters which correspond to the temperature sensitivity of the thermometric material, the electrical bias point and the amount of optical power loading. Expressions are derived for the zero frequency NEP and responsivity. Examples are given for the case of a bolometer cooled to 100 mK and used for ground-based astronomical photometry at submillimetre wavelengths.     

Seven matched bolometers for millimeter wave observations

We have fabricated a millimeter wave observation system using an array of bolometric detectors. The performance of the system depends largely on obtaining identical performance from each bolometer. We achieved a variance in the responsivity of less than 4% except for one of the seven elements. The bolometers had an electrical NEP of 1.3×10^–16 W/Hz under radiation background loading of 30pW. We used an AC bridge readout circuit to significantly improve the stability of the array and showed that observations can be done without a mechanical beam switch. The bolometer array is now in use on the Nobeyama 45-m telescope for 150GHz observations.H. Matsuo thanks those who helped him work on bolometers during his stay in Berkeley, especially to T. Wilbanks, M. Devlin and C. Inman. The authors are also grateful to S. Sato and T. Watabe at Nagoya University for their advice on the AC bridge circuit. This work is partly supported by the Shimazdu Science Foundation.     

Carbon nanotube based bolometer

The contacts of single carbon nanotubes and bundles of carbon nanotubes with superconducting and metallic electrodes are investigated in order to create bolometers and electron coolers. Tunneling contacts of the carbon nanotubes with aluminum electrodes are obtained. The current-voltage characteristics of junctions are analyzed for temperatures from room temperature to 300 mK. The resistance of individual nanotubes is primarily determined by defects and is too large for applications. The use of the bundles of carbon nanotubes makes it possible to considerably reduce the resistance of the bolometer, which is determined by a small number of conducting tubes with good tunneling contacts with the electrodes. The energy gap is equal to hundreds and tens of millivolt in the former and latter cases, respectively. Structures containing bundles of carbon nanotubes can be described in a model with a Schottky barrier. The samples with bundles of carbon nanotubes exhibit the bolometric response to external high-frequency radiation at a frequency of 110 GHz with an amplitude up to 100 μV and a temperature voltage response to 0.4 mV/K.     

Double Beta Decay Experiments with Thermal Detectors

Massive low temperature particle detectors and their possible impacts on searches for neutrinoless double beta decay (O-DBD) are presented and discussed. In particular, the experimental work of the Milano group is described. Special relevance is given to the present status of the search for O-DBD of ¹³⁰Te and to the possible expansion of this experiment in the near future. The most recent results obtained by the Milano-Gran Sasso collaboration with a 20 bolometer array are presented. On the basis of these results, the construction of a 42 kg array consisting of 56 TeO₂ bolometers (CUORICINO project), to extend the sensitivity of the present experiment, has been proposed. CUORICINO should represent also a feasibility test for a large array of 1000 bolometers (CUORE project) aiming at the search for neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, Cold Dark Matter and Solar Axions with extremely high sensitivity.     

Electron cooling in a normal-metal hot-electron bolometer

Normal-metal hot-electron bolometers, each of which contains two superconductor-insulator-normal metal (SIN) junctions for electron cooling and two SIN junctions for temperature measurements, were fabricated and experimentally studied. The electron cooling by SIN junctions is an analog of the Peltier effect and allows one to reduce the effective electron temperature of a bolometer. The electron temperature was determined from the ratio of the differential resistance to normal one for several values of a constant bias. At a phonon temperature of 250 mK, the resistance ratio at zero bias reached 1000, which was close to the theoretical value for an ideal SIN junction. A decrease in the electron temperature from 250 to 90 mK was obtained.     

Optical response of a cold-electron bolometer array

A multielement bolometric receiver system has been developed to measure the power and polarization of radiation at a calculated frequency of 345 GHz. Arrays of ten series-parallel connected cold-electron bolometers have been pairwise integrated into orthogonal ports of a cross-slot antenna. Arrays are connected in parallel in the high-frequency input signal and in series in the output signal, which is measured at a low frequency, and in a dc bias. Such an array makes it possible to increase the output resistance by two orders of magnitude as compared to an individual bolometer under the same conditions of high-frequency matching and to optimize the matching with the JFET amplifier impedance up to dozens of megohms. Parallel connection ensures matching of the input signal to the cross-slot antenna with an impedance of 30 Ω on a massive silicon dielectric lens. At a temperature of 100 mK, a response to the thermal radiation of a thermal radiation source with an emissivity of 0.3, which covers the input aperture of the antenna and is heated to 3 K, is 25 μV/K. Taking into account real noise, the optical fluctuation dc sensitivity is 5 mK, the estimated sensitivity corresponding to the noise of the amplifier is about 10⁻⁴ K/Hz^1/2, and the noise-equivalent power is about (1–5) × 10⁻¹⁷ W/Hz^1/2.     

双层石墨烯的化学气相沉积法制备及其光电器件

石墨烯是一种具有优异性质,在光电及能源领域具有巨大应用前景的二维材料.尽管单层石墨烯具有超高的迁移率,但是它的能带结构具有狄拉克锥(K点),即价带和导带并未有明显分离,所以在半导体器件方面的应用受到一定的限制.由双层石墨烯搭建而成的双门器件,在施加外加电场的情况下,它的带隙可以打开,并在一定范围内可调,这种性质赋予了双层石墨烯在半导体器件应用方面的前景.然而机械或者液相剥离石墨烯,在层数和大小方面可控性较差.如何通过化学气相沉积法可控制备双层石墨烯是目前研究的核心问题之一.本文主要综述了如何通过化学气相沉积法制备双层石墨烯和制备双层石墨烯器件的一系列工作,其中包括最新的研究进展,对生长机理的研究做了详细的介绍和讨论,并对该领域的发展进行了展望.     

High TcYBa2Cu3O7−δ superconducting transition-edge microbolometers

High T_c superconducting thin film YBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ (YBCO) bolometers have been fabricated on various substrates such as MgO, LaAlO₃, YSZ and Si using laser ablation technique. Performance of these IR bolometers operating with a Joule-Thomson refrigerator has been investigated. Measurements of the responsivity and low frequency noise near T_c in the current biased YBCO bolometers show that reliable devices can be fabricated. Measured noise equivalent power (NEP), for YBCO/YSZ bolometer, reaches 6 × 10⁻¹⁰W/Hz^1/2 at 165 Hz and has a responsivity of 60 V/W with a blackbody source. This performance is comparable to that of the optimized pyroelectric detectors. The characteristics of YBCO films deposited on Si substrates reveal that superconducting thin film multi-elements or focal plane array with silicon integrated readout circuit are feasible. Such bolometers exhibit NEP of 7 × 10⁻⁹W/Hz^1/2, and significant improvement appears possible. Electrical measurements show no noticeable film degradation after the bolometer is exposed to atmosphere for three months.     

THz/sub-THz bolometer based on electron heating in a semiconductor waveguide

Direct detection THz/sub-THz bolometer is proposed. In it an electromagnetic wave propagates in the bipolar semiconductor waveguide, heats electrons and holes there, and therefore creates their bipolar thermodiffusion flow and, as well as, the electromotive force (emf). The flow causes the carrier excess concentration. Both this concentration and emf are used to get the bolometer response voltage. The bolometer theoretical model is developed. The possibility without cooling or moderate cooling (about 100 K for the Cd_0.2Hg_0.8Te bolometers) to get acceptable for applications values of the noise equivalent power is shown. Experimental results confirm the main model conclusions.     

Bolometers operated at 0.1 K and 0.2 K cooled by adiabatic demagnetization

We have constructed bolometers operating at temperatures of 0.1 K and 0.2 K cooled by adiabatic demagnetization. The electrical noise equivalent power (NEP) of the bolometers was found to be 1.8×10^–16 W/Hz^1/2 and 6.6×10^–16 W/Hz^1/2 respectively. These values are within a factor of two of the expected performance based upon bolometer theory. The thermistor material used was gallium doped single crystal germanium, for which we find a resistivity temperature dependence of the form = ^o exp (AT^–1/2).     

Thermo-electric charge-to-voltage converter with superconductor–insulator–normal tunnel junction for bolometer applications

A novel type of the zero-biased thermo-electric bolometer (TEB) is proposed. The bolometer is based on a charge-to-voltage converter (CVC) with a superconductor–insulator–normal (SIN) tunnel junction and a superconducting absorber. The absorption of photons in the absorber leads to excitation of quasiparticles with some fraction of charge imbalance, tunneling through the SIN junction in zero-biased mode and generation of voltage. The thermoelectric voltage is determined by accumulation of tunneling charge in an external capacitance. Conversion efficiency is very high and voltage values comparable with a superconducting gap are easily achieved. The zero-biased CVC–TEB can be effectively used for creation of an array of bolometers and multi-pixel detection systems.     

The CUORE/CUORICINO project: Preliminary studies

A 1-t bolometer detector, aiming at the search for neutrinoless double-beta decay, cold dark matter, and solar axions with extremely high sensitivity, has been proposed (CUORE project). At the moment, the construction of a 42-kg array of 56 TeO₂ bolometers (CUORICINO project) has been approved and is financed. CUORICINO will be a feasibility test for CUORE, while increasing the present sensitivity on 0νββ half-life of ¹³⁰Te (1×10²³ yr, 90% C.L.). The state of the art of CUORICINO, together with the physical motivations and the technical feasibility of the CUORE project, is briefly discussed.     

Comparative study of annealing and gold dopant effect on DC sputtered vanadium oxide films for bolometer applications

Vanadium oxide (VO_x) thin film has been widely used for IR detectors and it is one of the promising materials for THz detectors due to its high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) values. VO_x films with proper TCR values have also high resistance and it restricts bolometer performance especially for uncooled bolometers. To overcome this problem, deposition at elevated temperatures or annealing approach has been accepted and used but gold co-deposition approach has been proposed recently. In this study, vanadium oxide films were fabricated on high resistivity silicon substrates by reactive direct current magnetron sputtering in different O₂/Ar atmosphere at room temperature. We investigated influence of oxygen partial pressure during deposition process and fabricated VO_x thin films with sufficient TCR values for bolometer applications. In order to decrease resistivity of the deposited films, post annealing and gold doping approaches were performed separately. Effect of both post annealing process and gold doping process on structural and electrical properties of VO_x thin films deposited at room temperature were investigated and detailed comparison between these methods were presented. We obtained the best possible approach to obtain optimum conditions for the highly reproducible VO_x thin films which have the best resistivity and suitable TCR value for bolometer applications.     

Semiconductor detectors and focal plane arrays for far-infrared imaging

The detection of far-infrared (far-IR) and sub-mm-wave radiation is resistant to the commonly employed techniques in the neighbouring microwave and IR frequency bands. In this wavelength detection range the use of solid state detectors has been hampered for the reasons of transit time of charge carriers being larger than the time of one oscillation period of radiation. Also the energy of radiation quanta is substantially smaller than the thermal energy at room temperature and even liquid nitrogen temperature. The realization of terahertz (THz) emitters and receivers is a challenge because the frequencies are too high for conventional electronics and the photon energies are too small for classical optics. Development of semiconductor focal plane arrays started in seventies last century and has revolutionized imaging systems in the next decades. This paper presents progress in far-IR and sub-mm-wave semiconductor detector technology of focal plane arrays during the past twenty years. Special attention is given on recent progress in the detector technologies for real-time uncooled THz focal plane arrays such as Schottky barrier arrays, field-effect transistor detectors, and microbolometers. Also cryogenically cooled silicon and germanium extrinsic photoconductor arrays, and semiconductor bolometer arrays are considered.     

YBCO半导体薄膜及Bolometer特性

就Si为衬底的钇钡铜氧(分子式：Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7-δ ,δ≥05,简称YBCO)薄膜的半导体性质,及用于红外测辐射热计(Bolometer)的探 测性能进行了研究.通过测定温度电阻系数(TCR)和霍尔(Hall)系数,并采用XRD、拉曼散射 光谱等手段分析了YBCO半导体薄膜的微观结构和光谱响应特性,认为该薄膜是非制冷红外焦 平面的新型探测元材料. 关键词： YBCO半导体薄膜 测辐射热计 温度电阻系数     

Large area bolometers for millimeter-wave power calibration

An accurate monolithic power meter has been developed for millimeter-wave applications. The detector is a large-area Bismuth bolometer, integrated on a fused-Quartz substrate. It simply measures the temperature change caused by the absorption of millimeter-wave radiation. The power meter is simple to fabricate, inexpensive, and can be easily calibrated using a low-frequency network. The measured responsivity for a 50 bolometer, with an area of 1×1cm, at a bias of 1V. and a video modulation of 100Hz, is 1mV/W. The noise spectrum exhibits a 1/f rolloff till 1KHz, and is limited by the Johnson noise for higher frequencies. The NEP of the detector is 3WHz^–1/2 at a video modulation of 1KHz. It is possible to decrease the current NEP by fabricating bolometers with higher responsivities. Possible application areas are absolute power calibration and localized power density measurements at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths.