Bolometer for reception of infra-red radiation in a wide dynamic range

Abstract

Results of the measurements of galvanomagnetic properties of thin monocrystal wires of PbTe in the temperature region 0,4÷300 K are presented. Monocrystal wires (with diameters d = 5÷100 μm) were obtained from solution melt by the filling of quartz capillary with the following crystallization of material. The structural perfection of investigated samples was tested by X-ray diffraction and LAMMA analysis. It is revealed, that at low temperatures in monocrystal wires of PbTe transition in a superconducting condition is observed. Moreover, starting with T = 30÷40 K samples exhibited negative temperature coefficients of resistance down to T = 0,4 K. The temperature of transition correlates with concentration of an impurity (for monocrystal wires of PbTe at thallium concentration 2% Tc = 2,1 K). Such unusual behaviour of temperature dependence of resistance in the region of low temperatures has been used by us for creation a bolometer for detection of infra-red radiations in a wide dynamic region, which can be used in spectroscopy, geophysics, astrophysics and also in other domains of science and technology, which needs measuring of weak infrared radiation.