Abstract

The electrical responsivity and noise-equivalent power of bolometers may be computed by using small-signal analysis from their electrical and thermal parameters. By using semiempirical equations to describe these parameters in the neighborhood of the heat sink temperature, a model of ideal semiconductor bolometers operated at low temperatures has been developed. By predicting detector performance under a variety of simulated experimental conditions, including, for the first reported time, nonzero background power, the model is a useful tool for optimizing the bolometer for use in a given environment. Comparisons between model predictions and those measured for two real bolometers are presented.

© 1984 Optical Society of America

Monolithic silicon bolometers

P. M. Downey, A. D. Jeffries, S. S. Meyer, R. Weiss, F. J. Bachner, J. P. Donnelly, W. T. Lindley, R. W. Mountain, and D. J. Silversmith
Appl. Opt. 23(6) 910-914 (1984)

Voltage-biased superconducting transition-edge bolometer with strong electrothermal feedback operated at 370 mK

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