SCIENTIFIC - INFRARED RECEIVERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600210304-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 23, 2011
• Sequence Number: 304
• Publication Date: March 4, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/24: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600210304-1
CLA5S1FICATION CORP9b$31TIAi -
CL..TRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
GONFIDErTIAZ
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Scientific Infrared receivers
HOW
PUBLISHED Monthly pertl.odical
WHERE
PUBLISHED Pbsoov
DATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
April 1928
Russian
DATE DIST. '`- March 1949
NO. OF PAGES 2
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
OF TOP ORlTIO 1TATlt 11101n. 1Ot, loA0100 OF tt*100A0t 401 10
0. 1. CG. al A00 01, A/ *011010.. IN 70A011111100 00t00 ttrtlt"ol
Or R0 001101 0 111 Alp $00000 10 AN 00A010011101 MASON 10 lt0?
nt1HS A LAW., 00010010000 Ol: TOla OOll .11111000101100.
SOURCE
Priroda, To 4, 1948. (FDB Per Abs 18'I74 -- 'T'ranslation requested.)
=ULOP)JT OF I98BARM RA INTION race V!BS
The first apparatus to operate on the principle of the conversion of
radiation energy into thermal energy was the boloeter, developed by Langley.
With this b6lweter Langley was able to carry out a whole series of in-
vestigations on energy distribution in the solar spectrum up to the 20~tt
wave length.
Pringsteia used the radiometric effect described by Kursk to minty
infrared rays. Rowever the radiometer did not receive a very wide appli-
cation because of its complex construction.
+ The thezmobar (there occupls) developed by Mobil and Melon was
valuable not may to physics but also to many other natural sciences.
over, the electromotive force proluwad by such apparatus was small.
A device w s later developed ahich concentrated the rays in the region
of the joint of the theuocouple. It was determined that relatively good
results were obtainable by use of a series of themooouples, thus gi"ize^o
rise to what is known aa the "thermpole." P. Iebeliev, famous Russian
pbysioi&., shoved that the sensitivity of this thermopole can be greatly in-
creased if 4t ib 'encased in a vessel from whica the air has been evacucted.
The prcbls z C iaertia -- time required for heating ami 46oliag The indicator
of a theraopols -- is a very important one. Technicians are z.ow striving to
mialaise this Inertia asimmah as possible. Today the theraopole has been
imRpecved so that it is very sensitive to even the smallest temperature
variations. In spite of its great sensitivity, its great inertia and low
resistance limit its application in ixnstry.
. r-
ri
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/24: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600210304-1
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/24: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600210304-1
The sensitivity of the bolomoter was increased by the,uee of a thin
nickel film on nitrocellulose leaves. It was thus possible to determine
changes of the order of several nil..ionths of a watt. More recently, non-
metallic substances have been used as resistances because it was foul that
they showed greater changes of resistance due to heating than did the pure
metal. This resulted in developoent of "thermistors." Nevertheless, in
spite of many improvements made in construction of bolometers, their high
inertia limits their use.
The application of Stoletov'u photooffectphenomenon has received wide
application in high-speed indicators, television equipaurat, sound movie3,
and many other fields. But the very nature of the photoelement limits its
Meld of use by requiring different types of photoelopents for different
wave baths. It has been suggested that the reason for lack of response
by the apparatus in some regions of the infrared baud is that the quantum
of radiation energy is too small: to release us : 1ectpn from the photo-
element in the vacuum. The most recant work has resulted in the manufacture
of an apparatus which contains a photoelementwith a cesium photolayer. This
cesium photolayer :ens been processed with oxygen and is known as the oxygen-
eocium-photoelesent. Its sensitivity limits are 1.2 to 1.4,? and its wax-
imm sensitivity is in the vicinity of 0.8,A .
It appears that subsequent research on photoelon?nts should exploit
the so-called. internal photoeffect. This phenomenon is based on the theory
that, the conductance of some substances-is inoreased whey they are subjected
to light. Such substances usually have a small number of conducting elee-
troms, and are more popularly known as semiconductors.
Academician A. B. loffe is presently doing much work with semioonduotorc,
and every day brings him and his sahoolcloner to solving the problem of
ssmioonduotors. It has been determinsd_that tbe.energy required to release
an electron inside a substance as a result of absorption of radiation energy
is lase than the energy required to release en electron in a vacumm.
Oxygen acts very favirably on semiconductors, and there is a whole
series of these substances which will become aottve only after being acted
on by oxygen. The theoretical bases of this phenomenon were determined
only very recently.
Today, seientists are interested in discovering more about the action
of rhotorosistant materials manufactured from thallium sulfide (Tls) and
lead sulfide (PbS). ?IS, also known as "thallofide," is sensitive to
light wavers of 1.'v/(,t, while PbS is sensitive up to 3.61.(.
In oonnlusion, It mast be mentioned that theefftntwncy of photoelemente
encased in a vacuum as well as photoeiemenje manufactured from semioonluotore
is very low end at best is only acme hundredths of a ptroent. But because of
the r4hSs.'meats of eantav-aar; science, and the excellent equipment for .
amplifying weak currents, Infrared receivers occupy an impart=,. place in
oonte rxawy technology. It is only in those instances where it to necessary
to register long-wave radiation that thersal receivers are used instead of
phc'tcelemsnt receivers.
BTh IOORAPflT
1. Jourra) of the OpLioal Society of America, No 36, 1946, P 353
2. Optik No 1, 1946, p 56
-ZND -
- 2 -
CONMKITIAL
50X1-HUM
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/06/24: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600210304-1