The Infra-Red Sensitivity of Superconducting Bolometers

Nelson Fuson

doi:10.1364/JOSA.38.000845

Journal of the Optical Society of America
Vol. 38,
Issue 10,
pp. 845-853
(1948)
•https://doi.org/10.1364/JOSA.38.000845

The Infra-Red Sensitivity of Superconducting Bolometers

Nelson Fuson

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Nelson Fuson, "The Infra-Red Sensitivity of Superconducting Bolometers," J. Opt. Soc. Am. 38, 845-853 (1948)

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Abstract

Columbium nitride superconducting bolometers have been studied for sensitivity when irradiated with a wide band of modulated infra-red radiation of about 0.1 microwatt/mm² intensity. The bolometer response was amplified by means of a matching input transformer and wide-band amplifier. Time constants for different bolometers ranging from 0.7 to 17.0 milliseconds were observed. Comparisons are given between these superconducting bolometers and other infra-red detectors described in the literature on the basis of reference conditions suggested by Jones (reference 1). Of the 25 superconducting bolometers studied in detail the 9 most sensitive had figures of merit ranging from 14.0 to 1.3.

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1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.	10.	11.
Bolometer No. and CbN sample No.	I ma	R ohm	dR/dT_b ohm/°K	ΔJ 10⁻¹⁰ watt	Calculated ΔE_n 10⁻¹⁰ v	Experimental ΔE_n 10⁻¹⁰ v	ΔE_b 10⁻¹⁰ v	ΔE_b/ΔE_n S/N ratio	ϵ volt/watt	ΔJ_min 10⁻¹⁰ watt
$1 - a \frac{1}{4}$	5	3.5	13	66,000	150	1000	30,000	30	0.46	2200
$2 - b \frac{1}{4}$	14	0.15	1.7	930,000	31	40	24,000	600	0.026	1550
$3 - c \frac{1}{4}$	15	4.0	75	7500	162	1000	11,200	11	1.5	650
$4 - c \frac{1}{4}$	2	5.0	34	120,000	180	196	184,000	1000	1.5	120
5–d1	33	0.18	3	1660	34	125	1100	8.8	0.67	185
6–e1	10	0.16	0.3	530,000	32	32	5000	155	0.094	3400
7–e1	36	0.35	2.0	2250	48	310	1900	6.1	0.85	370
8–f1	30	0.14	2.0	1200	30	36	1080	30	0.90	40
9–f1	24	0.13	0.2	1300	29	32	100	3.1	0.077	420
10–f1	22	0.09	3.2	800	24	43	500	11.7	0.63	68
11–f1	34	0.10	1.5	630	26	47	500	10.6	0.80	59
12–g1	78	0.10	1.5	3700	26	110	630	6.2	0.18	600
13–g1	34	0.16	2.0	9600	32	90	790	8.8	0.082	1100
14–h1	30	0.10	0.1	380,000	26	186	660	3.5	0.002	110,000
15–i1	30	0.06	0.2	1100	20	100	250	2.5	0.22	450
16–j1	14	1.05	1.1	2570	83	350	640	1.8	0.25	1450
$17 - k \frac{1}{4}$	40	0.70	5.0	4100	68	190	1880	9.9	0.46	410
$18 - k \frac{1}{4}$	20	0.70	6.0	3000	68	70	1120	16.0	0.37	190
$19 - k \frac{1}{4}$	10	0.95	12.0	2100	79	48	890	18.5	0.43	115
$20 - k \frac{1}{4}$	32	0.60	10.0	1430	63	138	1760	12.7	1.23	115
$21 - k \frac{1}{4}$	30	0.38	8.6	1950	50	84	2800	33.5	1.43	58
$22 - k \frac{1}{4}$	15	0.57	25	1280	61	80	1125	13.5	1.00	83
$23 - k \frac{1}{4}$	30	1.3	24	1850	92	1430	3700	2.6	2.00	710
$24 - k \frac{1}{4}$	20	0.52	4.0	875	58	133	1780	13.4	2.00	66
$25 - k \frac{1}{4}$	43	0.73	4.5	1470	69	110	4300	35	2.90	42

Type of detector	Name or number	τ millisec.	a mm²	f c.p.s.	Δν c.p.s.	ΔJ_min 10⁻¹⁰ watt	ΔJ₀ 10⁻¹⁰ watt	ΔJ_0,1 10⁻¹⁰ watt	M
Superconducting bolometer	$22 - k \frac{1}{4}$	10	1.8	360	4000	83	0.29	0.22	14
Superconducting bolometer	$25 - k \frac{1}{4}$	1.2	1.2	360	4000	42	3.3	3.0	8.3
Superconducting bolometer	8–f1	0.9	0.7	360	4000	42	4.9	5.9	5.9
Superconducting bolometer	11–f1	1.7	0.4	360	4000	58	2.7	4.3	4.0
Superconducting bolometer	$24 - k \frac{1}{4}$	0.7	0.7	360	4000	66	10.5	12.5	3.3
Superconducting bolometer	10–f1	1.5	0.4	360	4000	73	4.2	6.3	3.1
Superconducting bolometer	5–d1	0.8	1.6	360	4000	186	25.5	20	1.9
Superconducting bolometer	9–f1	17	0.4	360	4000	430	0.7	1.1	1.7
Superconducting bolometer	13–g1	4.2	6.4	360	4000	1100	14	5.5	1.3
Superconducting bolometer	Milton K-10^a	0.3	0.8	—	5000	10	3.4	3.8	25
Superconducting bolometer	Nielsen (OSU)^b	1.8	0.8	27	3	3.5	23	26	0.65
Platinum strip bolometer	Baird^c	50	3.6	10	—	14.7	1.9	1.0	0.60
Platinum strip bolometer	Baird	4.1	0.2	10	—	16.2	7.2	16	0.46
Semiconductor bolometer	BTL thermistor^d	3.0	0.6	53	30	200	167	216	0.05
Evaporated Ni bolometer	Polaroid^e	4.0	6.0	30	100	330	209	85	0.09
B_i−S_b, B_i−S_n thermocouple	Hornig and O’Keefe^f	36	0.5	5	1	0.5	1.16	1.65	0.51
B_i−S_b, B_i−S_n thermocouple	Hornig and O’Keefe^f	36	1.0	5	1	0.7	1.63	1.63	0.51
B_i−S_b, B_i−S_n thermocouple	Hornig and O’Keefe^f	41	4.0	5	1	1.4	2.85	1.42	0.50
Pneumatic detector (Golay cell)	Eppley Labs^g	5.0	7.0	10	1	0.5	3.3	1.3	4.8

1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.	10.	11.
Bolometer No. and CbN sample No.	I ma	R ohm	dR/dT_b ohm/°K	ΔJ 10⁻¹⁰ watt	Calculated ΔE_n 10⁻¹⁰ v	Experimental ΔE_n 10⁻¹⁰ v	ΔE_b 10⁻¹⁰ v	ΔE_b/ΔE_n S/N ratio	ϵ volt/watt	ΔJ_min 10⁻¹⁰ watt
$1 - a \frac{1}{4}$	5	3.5	13	66,000	150	1000	30,000	30	0.46	2200
$2 - b \frac{1}{4}$	14	0.15	1.7	930,000	31	40	24,000	600	0.026	1550
$3 - c \frac{1}{4}$	15	4.0	75	7500	162	1000	11,200	11	1.5	650
$4 - c \frac{1}{4}$	2	5.0	34	120,000	180	196	184,000	1000	1.5	120
5–d1	33	0.18	3	1660	34	125	1100	8.8	0.67	185
6–e1	10	0.16	0.3	530,000	32	32	5000	155	0.094	3400
7–e1	36	0.35	2.0	2250	48	310	1900	6.1	0.85	370
8–f1	30	0.14	2.0	1200	30	36	1080	30	0.90	40
9–f1	24	0.13	0.2	1300	29	32	100	3.1	0.077	420
10–f1	22	0.09	3.2	800	24	43	500	11.7	0.63	68
11–f1	34	0.10	1.5	630	26	47	500	10.6	0.80	59
12–g1	78	0.10	1.5	3700	26	110	630	6.2	0.18	600
13–g1	34	0.16	2.0	9600	32	90	790	8.8	0.082	1100
14–h1	30	0.10	0.1	380,000	26	186	660	3.5	0.002	110,000
15–i1	30	0.06	0.2	1100	20	100	250	2.5	0.22	450
16–j1	14	1.05	1.1	2570	83	350	640	1.8	0.25	1450
$17 - k \frac{1}{4}$	40	0.70	5.0	4100	68	190	1880	9.9	0.46	410
$18 - k \frac{1}{4}$	20	0.70	6.0	3000	68	70	1120	16.0	0.37	190
$19 - k \frac{1}{4}$	10	0.95	12.0	2100	79	48	890	18.5	0.43	115
$20 - k \frac{1}{4}$	32	0.60	10.0	1430	63	138	1760	12.7	1.23	115
$21 - k \frac{1}{4}$	30	0.38	8.6	1950	50	84	2800	33.5	1.43	58
$22 - k \frac{1}{4}$	15	0.57	25	1280	61	80	1125	13.5	1.00	83
$23 - k \frac{1}{4}$	30	1.3	24	1850	92	1430	3700	2.6	2.00	710
$24 - k \frac{1}{4}$	20	0.52	4.0	875	58	133	1780	13.4	2.00	66
$25 - k \frac{1}{4}$	43	0.73	4.5	1470	69	110	4300	35	2.90	42

Type of detector	Name or number	τ millisec.	a mm²	f c.p.s.	Δν c.p.s.	ΔJ_min 10⁻¹⁰ watt	ΔJ₀ 10⁻¹⁰ watt	ΔJ_0,1 10⁻¹⁰ watt	M
Superconducting bolometer	$22 - k \frac{1}{4}$	10	1.8	360	4000	83	0.29	0.22	14
Superconducting bolometer	$25 - k \frac{1}{4}$	1.2	1.2	360	4000	42	3.3	3.0	8.3
Superconducting bolometer	8–f1	0.9	0.7	360	4000	42	4.9	5.9	5.9
Superconducting bolometer	11–f1	1.7	0.4	360	4000	58	2.7	4.3	4.0
Superconducting bolometer	$24 - k \frac{1}{4}$	0.7	0.7	360	4000	66	10.5	12.5	3.3
Superconducting bolometer	10–f1	1.5	0.4	360	4000	73	4.2	6.3	3.1
Superconducting bolometer	5–d1	0.8	1.6	360	4000	186	25.5	20	1.9
Superconducting bolometer	9–f1	17	0.4	360	4000	430	0.7	1.1	1.7
Superconducting bolometer	13–g1	4.2	6.4	360	4000	1100	14	5.5	1.3
Superconducting bolometer	Milton K-10^a	0.3	0.8	—	5000	10	3.4	3.8	25
Superconducting bolometer	Nielsen (OSU)^b	1.8	0.8	27	3	3.5	23	26	0.65
Platinum strip bolometer	Baird^c	50	3.6	10	—	14.7	1.9	1.0	0.60
Platinum strip bolometer	Baird	4.1	0.2	10	—	16.2	7.2	16	0.46
Semiconductor bolometer	BTL thermistor^d	3.0	0.6	53	30	200	167	216	0.05
Evaporated Ni bolometer	Polaroid^e	4.0	6.0	30	100	330	209	85	0.09
B_i−S_b, B_i−S_n thermocouple	Hornig and O’Keefe^f	36	0.5	5	1	0.5	1.16	1.65	0.51
B_i−S_b, B_i−S_n thermocouple	Hornig and O’Keefe^f	36	1.0	5	1	0.7	1.63	1.63	0.51
B_i−S_b, B_i−S_n thermocouple	Hornig and O’Keefe^f	41	4.0	5	1	1.4	2.85	1.42	0.50
Pneumatic detector (Golay cell)	Eppley Labs^g	5.0	7.0	10	1	0.5	3.3	1.3	4.8

Abstract

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Tables (2)

Equations (9)

Journal of the Optical Society of America