WOLTE 1
Proceedings of the First European Workshop on Low Temperature Electronics

J. Phys. IV France 04 (1994) C6-249-C6-254
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:1994640

Composite bolometer based on high temperature superconducting Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x crystals for application in the far infrared

M. Epifani¹, P. Mancino¹, G. Balestrino², M. Marinelli², E. Milani², M. Montuori², A. Ruosi³ and R. Vaglio<sup>4

1</sup>  Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá "La Sapienza", Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
²  Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Universitá "Tor Vergata", via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy
³  Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá di Salerno, via S. Allende, 84081 Baronissi (Salerno), Italy
⁴  Dipartimento di Fisica, Universitá di Napoli, Piazzale Tecchio, 80 - 80125 Napoli, Italy

Abstract
We discuss the feasibility of a new type of high temperature superconducting bolometer operating in the sub-millimeter region (λ>300µm) of the spectrum in the temperature range 80K ÷ 100K. We use the sharp resistive transition of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+x superconducting single crystals as sensitive thermometer. The sensor is thermally coupled to a thin diamond substrate covered on the back side with a bismuth film that performs the absorbtion of the radiation. Such a detector should have large sensitive area and short time response due to the low heat capacity of both crystal and substrate. We describe the results of the electrical bolometric characterization, noise measurements and optical calibration carried out on the first prototype and use them to predict the Noise Equivalent Power (NEP) of a well designed detector.

© EDP Sciences 1994