High-temperature superconducting electromagnetic radiation detectors

The development of high-temperature superconducting (HTSC) thin-film devices for electro-optical and radio-frequency sensors is discussed with particular reference to two types of detectors: a bolometric infrared detector and a nonbolometric microwave detector. The performance of both detectors is compared with that of standard detectors. It is shown that an HTSC bolometer is competitive with a pyroelectric detector in the infrared spectral region. An HTSC nonbolometric detector may be competitive with a Schottky diode in the microwave spectral region. Possible applications of these detectors are discussed.