Quasioptical terahertz detector based on the series connection of N b 5 N 6 microbolometers

Abstract We present the experimental demonstration of a quasioptical terahertz (THz) detector. It is based on the series connection of three N b 5 N 6 microbolometers. This detector is of high responsivity and broadband response to THz signals. The maximum optical responsivity is 428     V / W at 0.245 THz and the minimum is 102     V / W at 0.367 THz. The thermal time constant of the detector has been demonstrated to be 1.3 μs, which is similar to the ones obtained for single-element microbolometers. These results make arrays of antenna-coupled N b 5 N 6 microbolometers promising for the development of pixels in THz focal-plane arrays.

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