We describe characterisation of the 100 mK dilution refrigerator, detectors and readout system for potential use on submillimetre spaceflight instruments. Relevant instruments include the High Frequency Instrument (HFI) on the Planck Surveyor mission for measurement of the anisotropies in the cosmic microwave background. The HFI will use a dilution refrigerator precooled by a 4 K mechanical cryocooler. We have used a modified variation of this zero gravity flight dilution system, precooled by a superfluid 4He cryostat rather than mechanical cryocoolers. The cooling power at 100 mK was 102 nW. The prototype detector was of the bolometric spider web type with a germanium thermistor, as presently baselined for the HFI. The bolometer differential readout system used a sinusoidal AC bias, and is being further developed for flight use. Closed loop temperature control about a setpoint of 100 mK was also used. Dark bolometer tests were performed including measurement of detector heat capacity, time constant, noise and microphonic susceptibility. The bolometer achieved the sensitivity required for all channels of the HFI, but was a factor of three times slower than the slowest required device. A mechanical shaker was used to simulate the microphonic effects of cryocooler operation. For a bolometer acceleration of 21 mgrms at 100 mK with 73 nW of residual cooling power, the system exhibited no increase in low frequency noise above those levels measured for the response without microphonic excitation. This acceleration level was ~ 70 times greater than the level expected from the flight cryocoolers at the 4 K enclosure for the HFI. This gives us confidence in the proposed use of sensitive bolometers with cryocoolers for space missions.


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    Title :

    Testing of Infrared Detectors Using a Zero Gravity Dilution Refrigerator


    Contributors:
    Ross, R. G. (editor) / Bhatia, R.S. (author) / Bock, J.J. (author) / Mason, P.V. (author) / Benoît, A. (author) / Griffin, M.J. (author)

    Published in:

    Cryocoolers 10 ; Chapter : 94 ; 795-804


    Publication date :

    2002-01-01


    Size :

    10 pages




    Type of media :

    Article/Chapter (Book)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




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