Intrinsic excess noise in a transition edge sensor

The noise in the measurement of the resistance of a transition edge sensor slightly above the zero resistance state contains a noise component associated with fluctuations in the superconducting order parameter. This noise has been calculated by Nagaev a dozen years ago in the context of the formation of fluctuating Cooper pairs in the normal state slightly above the transition. With reasonable assumptions concerning the properties of TESs it is found that this noise is comparable to Johnson noise only when the temperature is very close to the transition. We discuss the noise from pair fluctuations and methods to decrease its magnitude by pair breaking mechanisms should it be a problem.