Carbon nanotube bolometers

A cryogenic bolometer has been fabricated using a bundle of single-walled carbon nanotubes as absorber. A bolometric response was observed when the device was exposed to radiation at 110GHz. The temperature response was 0.4mV∕K, with an intrinsic electrical responsivity at low frequency up to 109V∕W and noise equivalent power of 3×10−16W∕Hz1∕2 at 4.2K. The response is largest at input power levels of a few femtowatts and decreases inversely proportional to the input power. Low frequency noise shows a 1∕f dependence.