Superconducting submillimeter and millimeter wave detectors
The series of projects described in this dissertation was stimulated by the discovery of high temperature superconductivity. Our goal was to develop useful applications which would be competitive with the current state of technology. The high-[Tc] microbolometer was developed into the most sensitive direct detector of millimeter waves, when operated at liquid nitrogen temperatures. The thermal boundary resistance of thin YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]0[sub 7-[delta]] films was subsequently measured and provided direct evidence for the bolometric response of high-[Tc] films to fast (ns) laser pulses. The low-[Tc] microbolometer was developed and used to make the first direct measurements of the frequency dependent optical efficiency of planar lithographed antennas. The hot-electron microbolometer was invented less than a year prior to the writing of this dissertation. Our analysis, presented here, indicates that it should be possible to attain up to two orders of magnitude higher sensitivity than that of the best available direct detectors when operated at the same temperature. The temperature readout scheme for this device could also be used to measure the intrinsic interaction between electrons and phonons in a metal with a sensitivity that is five orders of magnitude better than in previous measurements. Preliminary measurements of quasiparticle trapping effects at the interface between a metal and a superconductor are also presented.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 6941022
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-33039; ON: DE93007656
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph.D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Superconducting bolometers: High- Tc and low- Tc
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Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
BOLOMETERS
PERFORMANCE
INFRARED RADIATION
DETECTION
MICROWAVE RADIATION
BARIUM OXIDES
COPPER OXIDES
FABRICATION
HIGH-TC SUPERCONDUCTORS
MATERIALS
RADIATION DETECTORS
SENSITIVITY
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
YTTRIUM OXIDES
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
COPPER COMPOUNDS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RADIATIONS
SUPERCONDUCTORS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
665412* - Superconducting Devices- (1992-)
440800 - Miscellaneous Instrumentation- (1990-)