Bolometers have often been used as detectors of low energy radiation, but there has always been a choice to make between speed and sensitivity.\u00a0 A new design of superconducting bolometers promises to deliver increases in both speed and sensitivity over the older, semiconductor designs.\u00a0The superconducting bolometer consists of a voltage biased transition edge sensor mounted on a cold substrate.\u00a0 Impinging microwave radiation heats the sensor, which in turn lowers the power (i.e. heat) output of the TES.\u00a0 This strong electro-thermal feedback makes analytic analysis of such a system extremely difficult, if not impossible.\u00a0 Thus, a computer model was seen as the best option for predicting the detector\u2019s behavior.\u00a0 Once the model is completed it will be used to investigate the likely noise properties and response of such a detector under conditions such as those used in the study of the CMB.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bryan Linkous with John RuhlThermo-electric Model of a Superconducting Bolometer<\/p>\n
Bolometers have often been used as detectors of low energy radiation, but there has always been a choice to make between speed and sensitivity.\u00a0 A new design of superconducting bolometers promises to deliver increases in both speed and sensitivity over the older, semiconductor designs.\u00a0The superconducting bolometer consists of a voltage biased transition edge sensor mounted on a cold substrate.\u00a0 Impinging microwave radiation heats the sensor, which in turn lowers the power (i.e. heat) output of the TES.\u00a0 This strong electro-thermal feedback makes analytic analysis of such a system extremely difficult,<\/p>\n