Characterization of the Thermal Properties of Ir/Pt Bilayer Transition Edge Sensors.

We are developing a low- T c TES-based large-area and low-threshold detector targeting a variety of potential applications. The detector consists of a 50.8-mm-diameter Si wafer as the substrate and radiation absorber, a single Ir/Pt bilayer TES sensor in the center, and normal metal Au pads added to the TES to strengthen the TES–absorber thermal coupling. Tight TES–absorber thermal coupling improves detector sensitivity and response uniformity. Here, we report on the electron–phonon (e–ph) coupling strengths for the Ir/Pt bilayer and Au that are measured with our prototype detectors and TES devices. We found that a second weak thermal link besides the one due to e–ph coupling in Ir/Pt or Au was required to explain our data. With the effects of the second weak link accounted for, the extracted e–ph coupling constant Σ for Ir/Pt bilayer in the T c range between 32 and 70 mK is 1.9 × 10 8 WK - 5 m - 3 , and Σ 's for Au at 40 mK and 55 mK are 2.2 × 10 9 WK - 5 m - 3 and 3.2 × 10 9 WK - 5 m - 3 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]