CALIBRATIONS OF IR, VISIBLE, AND ULTRAVIOLET SENSORS

Cryogenic radiometers are the primary standards for the measurement of power in the infrared, the visible, and the ultraviolet, a large part of the ueful spectrum. The integrity of the DoD procurement process and of DoD technology development depend critically on these standards. One aspect of this dependence is measuring the characteristics of those devices that work well in battle. Those measurements depend directly on the measurement standards. From this knowledge the specifications for new weapons systems are derived and promulgated as procurement specifications. The measurement standards again play a critical role, by determining if required specifications have been met. We propose the development of a cryogenic radiometer based on new technology, high temperature superconductors, with performance intermediate between that of helium temperature radiometers and room temperature instruments. Because of its relative simplicity for cooling, it should be more broadly useful than existing cryogenic radiometers.