Search

Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) are highly scalable detectors that have demonstrated nearly background-limited sensitivity in the far-infrared from high-altitude balloon-borne telescopes and space-like laboratory environments. In addition, the detectors have a rich design space with many optimizable parameters, allowing high sensitivity measurements over a wide dynamic range. For these reasons, MKIDs were chosen for the Experiment for Cryogenic Large-Aperture Intensity Mapping (EXCLAIM), a balloon-borne telescope targeting nearly background-limited performance in a high-altitude atmospheric environment from 420 to 540 GHz. We describe MKID optimization in the specific context of EXCLAIM and provide general results that apply to broader applications. Extending the established approach of tone frequency tracking, we show that readout power optimization enables significant, further improvement in dynamic range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future ground and space-based astronomy missions in the millimeter and sub-millimeter range will rely upon kilopixel detector arrays. We are developing a superconducting Transition-Edge Hot-Electron Bolometer (THM) for use in these next generation missions. Thermal isolation of the THM is controlled by the hot-electron effect between the electrons and phonons within the small volume of the superconducting detector. To reach noise levels near the photon background noise for observing the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and the submillimeter and far-infrared background the optimal detector size occurs at the micron length scale. We present measurements of the thermal conductance of two micron-sized THM devices which show a hot-electron temperature dependence and predict NEP\leq 5\times 10^-18\ W/\sqrtHz for CMB loading conditions and NEP\leq 1\times 10^-19\ W\sqrtHz in the low power loading limit. We also briefly discuss the detector geometry and thermal conductance optimization for CMB loading conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]