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The Balloon Experiment for Galactic INfrared Science (BEGINS) is a concept for a sub-orbital observatory that will operate from λ = 25 to 250 μ m to characterize dust in the vicinity of high-mass stars. The mission's sensitivity requirements will be met by utilizing arrays of 1840 lens-coupled, lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) operating at 300 mK. Each KID will consist of a titanium nitride (TiN) parallel strip absorbing inductive section and parallel plate capacitor deposited on a Silicon (Si) substrate. The parallel plate capacitor geometry allows for reduction of the pixel spacing. At the BEGINS focal plane, the detectors require optical NEPs from 2 × 10 - 16 to 6 × 10 - 17 W/ Hz from 25 to 250 μ m for optical loads ranging from 4 to 10 pW. We present the design, optical performance and quasiparticle lifetime measurements of a prototype BEGINS KID array at 25 μ m when coupled to Fresnel zone plate lenses. For our optical set up and the absorption efficiency of the KIDs, the electrical NEP requirement at 25 μ m is 7.6 × 10 - 17 W/ Hz for an absorbed optical power of 0.36 pW. We find that over an average of five resonators the the detectors are photon noise limited down to about 200 fW, with a limiting NEP of about 7.4 × 10 - 17 W/ Hz . Future arrays will be coupled to microlens arrays and have higher optical efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future space-based far-infrared astrophysical observatories will require exquisitely sensitive detectors consistent with the low optical backgrounds. The PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) will deploy arrays of thousands of superconducting kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) sensitive to radiation between 25 and 265 μ m. Here, we present laboratory characterization of prototype, 25–80- μ m wavelength, low-volume, aluminum KIDs designed for the low-background environment expected with PRIMA. A compact parallel plate capacitor is used to minimize the detector footprint and suppress TLS noise. A novel resonant absorber is designed to enhance response in the band of interest. We present noise and optical efficiency measurements of these detectors taken with a low-background cryostat and a cryogenic blackbody. A microlens-hybridized KID array is found to be photon noise limited down to about 50 aW with a limiting detector NEP of about 6.5 × 10 - 19 W/Hz 1 / 2 . A fit to an NEP model shows that our optical system is well characterized and understood down to 50 aW. We discuss future plans for low-volume aluminum KID array development as well as the testbeds used for these measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Far-infrared (far-IR) astrophysics missions featuring actively cooled telescopes will offer orders of magnitude observing speed improvement at wavelengths where galaxies and forming planetary systems emit most of their light. The PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA), which is currently under study, emphasizes low- and moderate-resolution spectroscopy throughout the far-IR. Full utilization of PRIMA's cold telescope requires far-IR detector arrays with per-pixel noise equivalent powers (NEPs) at or below 1 × 10 - 19 W / Hz . We are developing low-volume aluminum kinetic inductance detector (KID) arrays to reach these sensitivities. We describe the development of our long-wavelength (80–265 μ m ) array approach and present multitone measurements of a 1008-pixel arrays. We measure an NEP below 1 × 10 - 19 W / Hz for 73% of the measured pixels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconducting On-chip Fourier Transform Spectrometers (SOFTS) are broadband, ultra-compact and electronic interferometers. SOFTS will enable kilo-pixel spectro-imaging focal planes, enhancing sub-millimeter astrophysics and cosmology. Particular applications include cluster astrophysics, cosmic microwave background (CMB) science, and line intensity mapping. This article details the development, design and bench-marking of radio frequency (RF) on-chip architecture of SOFTS for Ka and W-bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kinetic inductance effect is strongly nonlinear with applied current in NbTiN, TiN and NbN thin films. This can be utilized to realize novel devices. We present results from transmission lines made with these materials, where DC (current) control is used to modulate the phase velocity thereby enabling on-chip spectrometers. Utility of such compact spectrometers is discussed, along with their natural connection with parametric amplifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few years, there has been a growing interest toward the use of superconducting microwave microresonators operated in quasi-thermal equilibrium mode, especially applied to single particle detection. Indeed, previous devices designed and tested by our group with X-ray sources in the keV range evidenced that several issues arise from the attempt of detection through athermal quasiparticles produced within direct strikes of X-rays in the superconductor material of the resonator. In order to prevent issues related to quasiparticles self-recombination and to avoid exchange of athermal phonons with the substrate, our group focused on the development of thermal superconducting microresonators. In this configuration, resonators composed of multilayer films of Ti/TiN sense the temperature of an absorbing material. To maximize the thermal response, low-critical-temperature films are preferable. By lowering the critical temperature, though, the maximum probing power bearable by the resonators decreases abruptly because of the weakening of the electron-phonon coupling. A proper compromise between the value of critical temperature (and hence sensitivity to energy deposition) and readout power bearable by the device has to be found in order to avoid signal-to-noise ratio degradation. In this contribution, we report the latest measurement of the electron-phonon coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the development of thermal kinetic inductance detectors (TKIDs) suitable to perform X-ray spectroscopy measurements. The aim is to implement MKIDs sensors working in thermal quasi-equilibrium mode to detect X-ray photons as pure calorimeters. The thermal mode is a variation on the MKID classical way of operation that has generated interest in recent years. TKIDs can offer the MKIDs inherent multiplexibility in the frequency domain, a high spatial resolution comparable with CCDs, and an energy resolution theoretically limited only by thermodynamic fluctuations across the thermal weak links. Microresonators are built in Ti/TiN multilayer technology with the inductive part thermally coupled with a metal absorber on a suspended SiN membrane, to avoid escape of phonons from the film to the substrate. The mid-term goal is to optimize the single-pixel design in terms of superconducting critical temperatures, internal quality factors, kinetic inductance and spectral energy resolution. The final goal is to realize a demonstrator array for a next generation thousand pixels X-ray spectrometer. In this contribution, the status of the project after one year of developments is reported, with detailed reference to the microresonators design and simulations and to the fabrication process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]