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The Space High-Cadence Observing Telescope (SHOT) is proposed as a spaceborne 0.8-meter terahertz camera with remarkable imaging speed, aimed at conducting the inaugural large-sky terahertz survey and unlocking a pioneering realm for exploring the dynamic universe. Kinetic Inductance Bolometers (KIBs) represent a viable technique for the focal plane detector arrays of SHOT. In this paper, we present the design of a lumped-element kinetic inductance detector (LEKID) as the KIB detector, featuring various interdigital capacitors (IDCs) for tuning the resonator frequency. In KIB detector, the inductive component of the LEKID is thermally isolated from the substrate by a normal metal antenna, which serves to absorb terahertz signals. We conducted characterization on non-thermally isolated LEKID at temperatures of 1.5 and 0.01 Kelvin. The KIB design and fabrication processes have been established and the devices are fabricated with a 91.5% mechanical yield. The results form a foundation to build large arrays of KIB detectors using existing manufacturing technologies for SHOT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Space High-cadence Observing Telescope (SHOT) is proposed to conduct a wide-field survey in one of the frequency bands between 1 and 3 THz with an aperture of 0.8 m. It will provide complete terahertz and far-infrared photometry with low-resolution spectroscopy throughout the sky, promoting the study of fast radio bursts, the formation and evolution of stars, and other scientific goals. The telescope will adopt a superconducting kinetic inductance detector to achieve a wide survey of terahertz imaging. This work designs the optical system of SHOT to obtain a large FOV of up to 1.5 deg and match the detector with the size of 60 mm × 60 mm and pixel pitch of 0.8 mm. The primary optical system adopts a Ritchey–Chrétien design. By adding a corrector lens to the optical system and optimization, the aberrations mainly caused by the optical elements in the detector system are reduced. The influence of each component assigned to different terahertz materials is analyzed. The results show that TPX is more suitable than the other two materials. The performance of the optimized optical system is close to its diffraction limit. It will have the characteristics of high image quality and compact layout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal-metal $$\backslash $$ insulator $$\backslash $$ superconductor (NIS) junctions can be used as solid-state refrigerators since the hottest electrons preferentially tunnel from the normal metal into the superconductor. In this paper, we present NIS junctions optimized to cool electrons from a bath temperature of 100 mK. We measure a temperature reduction of the electrons in the refrigerator junctions from 100 to 26 mK which agrees with device models. Independent measurements of the electron temperature using thermometer junctions measure a temperature decrease from 100 to 48 mK. Theories explaining the difference in measured temperatures are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]