Fabrication of an infrared bolometer with a high T/sub c/ superconducting thermometer

A sensitive high-T/sub c/ superconducting bolometer has been fabricated on a 20- mu m-thick sapphire substrate with a YBCO thin-film transition edge thermometer. Optical measurements with a He-Ne laser gave a noise equivalent power of 2.4*10/sup -11/ W/Hz/sup 1/2/ at 10 Hz, and a responsivity of 17 V/W in good agreement with electrical bolometer measurements. Gold black smoke was then deposited on the backside of the assembled bolometer as an absorber. Spectral measurements on a Fourier transform spectrometer show that the bolometer has useful sensitivity from visible wavelengths to beyond approximately 100 mu m. This performance is superior to that of a commercial room-temperature pyroelectric detector. Some improvement appears possible.