Thermal conductance measurements for the development of ultra low-noise transition-edge sensors with a new method for measuring the noise equivalent power

Transition-Edge Sensors (TESs) are sensitive devices used in astronomical detectors. Recent projects in ground-based and space astronomy demand the Noise Equivalent Power (NEP) of the TES to be reduced to the limits needed for accurate measurements, for example, of the B-mode polarisation of the CMB. Thus, we have measured thermal conductance of SixNy bridges of various geometries, and present the results that give insight into the phonon transport mechanism inside these low-dimensional structures. We also present a new method for measuring the NEP of TESs using an on-chip black body radiator.

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