High-temperature superconductor bolometers for the IR region

Three types of high-temperature superconductor (HTSC) bolometers have been developed and studied: on a solid substrate, suspended on thermal filaments , and a membrane version. It has been shown that the threshold sensitivity limited by phonon noise can be achieved. A detectivity of 3.8 x 10(9) cm.Hz (1/2)/W with a time constant of 0.45 ms in the spectral region 2-15 mu m ha s been achieved with a Si-membrane bolometer. Detector devices have been cr eated on the basis of HTSC bolometers, and it is shown that it is promising to further develop HTSC bolometers and IR arrays based on them. (C) 1999 T he Optical Society of America. [S1070-9762(99)01308-1].