EVALUATION OF HIGH T(C) SUPERCONDUCTORS AS INFRARED DETECTORS

THE AVAILABILITY OF THE 1-2-3 SUPERCONDUCTING OXIDES (SCO'S) IN WELL CONTROLLED THIN-FILM FORM MAY DIRECTLY OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRODUCE INFRARED DETECTORS WITH WAVELENGTH SENSITIVITY OUT TO 20 MICRONS AND WITH FREQUENCY RESPONSES APPROACHING 100 GHZ. EXTENSIVE RESEARCH IN MATERIALS PROCESSING SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED FOR THIS APPLICATION - THE CONTROL OF STOICHIOMETRY AND HOMOGENITY OF COMPOSITION AVAILABLE WITH PRESENT PROCESSES SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT QUALITY TO PRODUCE THESE FAST DETECTORS. POLYCRYSTALLINITY AND A LOW JC ARE NOT PROBLEMS. WHEN COMPARED WITH EXISTING TECHNOLOGY, THE PROCESSES USED TO MAKE THESE MATERIALS ARE INHERENTLY SIMPLER, AND SHOULD LEAD TO IMPROVED FREQUENCY PERFORMANCE AT THESE WAVELENGTHS AT DRAMATICALLY REDUCED COST. IN THE PROPOSED EFFORT, WE WILL SELECT THE THIN-FILM TECHNOLOGY WHICH SHOWS THE MOST PROMISE AT THE TIME OF AWARD. SEVERAL SAMPLES WILL BE PREPARED AND CHARACTERIZED WITH RESPECT TO PERFORMANCE AS DETECTORS.