Laser heating experiments on multilayered (SI)(n) strips and possible improvements of TES-based bolometers

A set of YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO)/SrTiO3 (STO) superlattices has been grown a nd characterized both by material properties and by heat exchange propertie s. These superlattices exhibited a critical temperature sensitivity to thei r period. Stacks of YBCO/STO bilayers with thickness of about 10 nm are pro posed to control the thermal link between a top 200 nm thick bilayer and th e underlying MgO substrate. A decrease of more than one order of magnitude of the thermal conductance with respect to that of YBCO/substrate reference system is inferred from our measurements. Estimations of possible performa nces of FIR detectors making good use of this new technique are given both at 90 and 4.2 K, and appear attractive. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.