SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Bolometers”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1995

Low-Noise Wide Bandwith, Hot Electron Bolometer Mixers for Submillimeter Wavelengths

Recently a novel superconductive hot-electron micro-bolometer has been proposed which is both fast and sensitive (D. E. Prober, Appl. Phys. Lett. 62, 2119, 1993). This device has several important properties which make it useful as a heterodyne sensor for radioastronomy applications at frequencies above 1 THz. The thermal response time of the device is fast enough, several 10's of picoseconds, to allow for IF's of several GHz. This bolometer mixer should operate well up to at least 10 THz. There is no energy gap limitation as in an SIS mixer, since the mixing process relies on heating of the electron gas. In fact, rf power is absorbed more uniformly above the gap frequency. The mixer noise should be near quantum-limited, and the local oscillator (LO) power requirement is very low: / 10 nW for a Nb device. One of the unique features of this device is that it employs rapid electron diffusion into a normal metal, rather than phonon emission, as the thermal conductance that cools the heated electrons. In order for diffusion to dominate over phonon emission, the device must be short, less than 0.5.

Bolometer Mixers↗

NASA NTRS1994

A Superconducting Hot Electron Bolometer Mixer for 530 GHz

This paper describes a superconducting hot electron bolometer mixer that uses diffusion rather than interactions with phonons as a cooling mechanism for the hot electrons. The bolometer is a 0.14 µm; wide niobium microbridge with a length less than 0.5 µm;. The submicron length ensures rapid diffusion of the hot electrons into contacting gold films. This mechanism is believed to be fast enough to allow mixer operation with intermediate frequencies of several GHz. An electron cooling time of 55 ps is inferred from DC resistance versus temperature measurements, indicating a roll-off frequency close to 3 GHz. Initial receiver measurements using a two-tuner waveguide mixer confirm heterodyne mixing at 532 GHz with an intermediate frequency of 1.4 GHz.

bolometer↗

NASA NTRS1996

Large Bandwidth and Low Noise in a Diffusion-Cooled Hot-Electron Bolometer Mixer

X Heterodyne measurements have been made at 533 GHz using a novel superconducting hot-electron bolometer in a waveguide mixer. The bolometer is a 0.3 ??ong niobium microbridge with T c =(approx. equal to)5K. The short length ensures that electron diffusion dominates over electron-phonon interactions as the electron cooling mechanism, which should allow heterodyne detection with intermediate frequencies (if{italics})) of several GHz. A Y-factor response of 1.15dB has been obtained at an if(italics) of 1.4 GHz with 77k and 295k loads, indicating a receiver noise temperature of 650 k DSB. The -3 dB rolloff in the if(italics) response occurs at 1.7 GHz.

Heterodyne↗

DOE OSTI2020

Characterizing the Sensitivity of 40 GHz TES Bolometers for BICEP Array

The BICEP/Keck (BK) experiment aims to detect the imprint of primordial gravitational waves in the cosmic microwave background polarization, which would be direct evidence of the inflation theory. While the tensor-to-scalar ratio has been constrained to be $r_{0.05}<0.06$ at 95% c.l., further improvements on this upper limit are hindered by polarized galactic foreground emissions and removal of gravitational lensing polarization. The 30/40 GHz receiver of the BICEP Array (BA) will deploy at the end of 2019 and will constrain the synchrotron foreground with unprecedented accuracy within the BK sky patch. We will show the design of the 30/40 GHz detectors and test results summarizing its performance. The low optical and atmospheric loading at these frequencies requires our TES detectors to have low saturation power in order to be photon noise dominated. To realize the low thermal conductivity required from a 250 mK base temperature, we developed new bolometer leg designs. We will present the relevant measured detector parameters: $G, T_c, R_n, P_{sat}$, and spectral bands, and noise spectra. We achieved a per bolometer NEP including all noise components of 2.07×10 -17 W/$\sqrt{Hz}$, including an anticipated photon noise level 1.54×10 -17 W/$\sqrt{Hz}$.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2024

Crosstalk Effects in Microwave SQUID Multiplexed TES Bolometer Readout

Transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers are broadly used for background-limited astrophysical measurements from the far-infrared to mm-waves. Many planned future instruments require increasingly large detector arrays, but their scalability is limited by their cryogenic readout electronics. Microwave SQUID multiplexing offers a highly capable scaling solution through the use of inherently broadband circuitry, enabling readout of hundreds to thousands of channels per microwave line. As with any multiplexing technique, the channelization mechanism gives rise to electrical crosstalk which must be understood and controlled so as to not degrade the instrument sensitivity. Here, in this study, we explore implications relevant for TES bolometer array applications, focusing in particular on upcoming mm-wave observatories such as the Simons Observatory and AliCPT. We model the relative contributions of the various underlying crosstalk mechanisms, evaluate the difference between fixed-tone and tone-tracking readout systems, and discuss ways in which crosstalk nonlinearity will complicate on-sky measurements.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

Design and implementation of a prototype infrared video bolometer (IRVB) in MAST Upgrade

A prototype infrared video bolometer (IRVB) was successfully deployed in the Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak Upgrade (MAST Upgrade or MAST-U), the first deployment of such a diagnostic in a spherical tokamak. The IRVB was designed to study the radiation around the lower x-point, another first in tokamaks, and has the potential to estimate emissivity profiles with spatial resolution beyond what is achievable with resistive bolometry. The system was fully characterized prior to installation on MAST-U, and the results are summarized here. After installation, it was verified that the actual measurement geometry in the tokamak qualitatively matches the design; this is a particularly difficult process for bolometers and was done using specific features of the plasma itself. The installed IRVB measurements are consistent both with observations from other diagnostics, including magnetic reconstruction, visible light cameras, and resistive bolometry, as well as with the IRVB-designed view. Early results show that with conventional divertor geometry and only intrinsic impurities (for example, C and He), the progression of radiative detachment follows a similar path to that observed for large aspect ratio tokamaks: The peak of the radiation moves along the separatrix from the targets to the x-point and high-field side midplane with a toroidally symmetric structure that can eventually lead to strong effects on the core plasma inside the separatrix.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

DOE OSTI2025

Fiber-optic bolometer with low detection limit fabricated using thermal release tape and precise laser heating

Fiber-optic bolometers (FOBs) based on a fiber-tipped silicon Fabry–Perot (FP) interferometric temperature sensor and a gold disk absorber have been shown to be an attractive alternative to conventional resistive bolometers for plasma radiation measurement in fusion devices. Either a high-finesse FP or a low-finesse FP can be used, each with trade-offs between noise performance and fabrication complexity. In this paper, we present an FOB design that overcomes these limitations by combining a low-finesse long silicon FP cavity with a large gold disk absorber to achieve enhanced sensitivity and noise performance without increasing the fabrication complexity and the time constant. We also demonstrated a fabrication method for the sensor head facilitated by thermal release tape and precise laser heating. Our FOB demonstrates a temperature resolution of 0.08 mK, a cooling time constant of 230 ms, and a noise equivalent power density of 0.015 W m −2 . This represents an eightfold improvement over previous high-finesse FOBs and 26-fold improvement over previous low-finesse FOBs with similar demodulation bandwidths and similar cooling time constants.

Fabry–Perot interferometer↗

DOE OSTI2021

Bolometer tomography on Wendelstein 7-X for study of radiation asymmetry

The algorithm for bolometer tomography at Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) has been recently improved using a novel regularization functional, based on relative gradient smoothing (RGS) of the sought radiation profile. It has been validated using radiation patterns provided by 3D modeling under real plasma conditions as phantoms and then applied to bolometer measurements performed during the first divertor operation phase of W7-X. The following results are presented: 1) edge-localized 2D radiation patterns with clearly resolved magnetic island radiation structures, 2) an up-down asymmetry in the impurity radiation that is not captured by the 3D edge plasma transport modeling, 3) reversal of the asymmetry with reversed magnetic field direction. Further analysis reveals a poloidal variation of the emissivity in the outer confined plasma region with a field-direction dependent asymmetry, also supported by the soft X-ray measurements. This asymmetry is considered to be related to asymmetric impurity distributions, driven by the pronounced ion-impurity friction force at the plasma edge where the collisionality of the W7-X plasma is sufficiently high to develop impurity asymmetry as predicted by neoclassical theory of parallel impurity transport.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

DOE OSTI2021

Novel technique for the study of pileup events in cryogenic bolometers

Precise characterization of detector time resolution is of crucial importance for next-generation cryogenic-bolometer experiments searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay, such as CUPID, in order to reject background due to pile-up of two-neutrino double-beta decay events. In this paper, we describe a technique developed to study the pile-up rejection capability of cryogenic bolometers. Our approach, which consists of producing controlled pile-up events with a programmable waveform generator, has the benefit that we can reliably and reproducibly control the time separation and relative energy of the individual components of the generated pile-up events. The resulting data allow us to optimize and benchmark analysis strategies to discriminate between individual and pile-up pulses. We describe a test of this technique performed with a small array of detectors at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso, in Italy; we obtain a 90% rejection efficiency against pulser-generated pile-up events with rise time of ~15 ms down to time separation between the individual events of 2 ms.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1968

Precision bolometer bridge

Prototype precision bolometer calibration bridge is manually balanced device for indicating dc bias and balance with either dc or ac power. An external galvanometer is used with the bridge for null indication, and the circuitry monitors voltage and current simultaneously without adapters in testing 100 and 200 ohm thin film bolometers.

White, D. R.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Pulse excitation of bolometer bridges

Driving bolometer bridge by appropriately phased excitation pulses increases signal-to-noise ratio of bolometer sensor which operates on a chopped light beam. Method allows higher applied voltage than is possible by conventional ac or dc excitation.

Rusk, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Vibrating ribbon bolometer: A concept

Incident electromagnetic radiation pulses maintain bolometer's sensitive element in state of resonant oscillation and correlate amplitude of oscillation with incident radiation power. Bolometer can be employed with other devices for detecting motion of ribbon.

Dimeff, J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Four-color infrared bolometer system for one-meter telescope

A far-infrared photometer has been developed as a focal plane instrument for a balloon-borne 102-cm telescope. The four gallium-doped Ge bolometers adopted for the system operate at 1.8 K in a liquid-helium dewar. Wavelength bands of the four-bolometer system are a narrow spectrum between 18 and 22 microns, and bands centered at 42, 70, and 140 microns. The responsivity and Johnson noise of the detectors limit the performance of the instrument.

Daneu, V.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Selenium immersed thermistor bolometer study

The noise characteristics of thermistor bolometers immersed in layers of arsenic/selenium glass uniform in composition were examined. Using a controlled deposition technique, layers of glass were deposited, thermistor bolometers immersed, and their electrical characteristics measured after various thermal treatments. Markedly improved stability of the detector noise was observed using this new technique.

Rolls, W. H.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Bolometer and photosensitive detector systems for IR

In order to achieve the full sensitivity required for future space astronomy applications, IR detector systems will have to be cooled to 0.1 K or less. The feasibility of such cryocooling has been demonstrated for the established laboratory technique of adiabatic demagnetization, and it has been shown that bolometers made from compensated silicon, with ion-implanted contacts, come close to calculated ultimate performance limits. Unlike bolometers, silicon and germanium photoconductors are highly wavelength-dependent. Useful wavelengths are presented for the most promising photodetectors based on these materials. It is noted that, as the relevant microelectronic technology advances, array detectors in the near-IR may be expected to approach the size and performance of large, intrinsic silicon CCD arrays now available for optical wavelengths.

Low, F. J.↗

NASA NTRS1983

On 3He bolometer systems

A 3He cryostat which was constructed to cool a germanium bolometer for use as an infrared detector at submillimeter wavelength is discussed. The system had better sensitivity than any other existing system for these wavelengths; the system could be improved if better optical coupling could be achieved between the bolometer and the incoming photon stream. Considerable effort was expended to improve this coupling. Even the best results however, fell short of an ideal system by a factor of nearly 5 in coupling efficiency.

Houck, J. R.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Nonequilibrium noise of InSb hot electron bolometers

Noise spectra of a InSb hot electron bolometer at 4.2 K bath temperature are measured and compared with theory. Bolometer phonon noise and Johnson noise are included in the analysis. A nonequilibrium Johnson noise model, due to Mather, gives good agreement with experiment over the frequency range 0.2-1.1 MHz. This model incorporates an elevated electron gas temperature and electrothermal feedback from the bias supply.

Brown, E.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Gold absorbing film for a composite bolometer

The principles governing the design of metal films are reviewed, with attention also given to the choice of metals. A description is then given of the characteristics of a bolometer with a gold absorbing film. It is demonstrated that gold is effective as an absorbing film for a millimeter bolometer operated at 1.5 K. At 1.5 K, gold is significantly better than bismuth since gold has a lower heat capacity for the absorbing film. At 0.3 K, gold and bismuth are both suitable. It is pointed out that at temperatures below 0.3 K, a superconducting absorbing film can have a heat capacity low enough not to dominate the heat capacity of the detector; for this reason, it may give better performance than a nonsuperconducting absorbing film.

Dragovan, M.↗