SWIPE: a bolometric polarimeter for the Large-Scale Polarization Explorer

The balloon-borne LSPE mission is optimized to measure the linear polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background at large angular scales. The Short Wavelength Instrument for the Polarization Explorer (SWIPE) is composed of 3 arrays of multi-mode bolometers cooled at 0.3K, with optical components and filters cryogenically cooled below 4K to reduce the background on the detectors. Polarimetry is achieved by means of large rotating half-wave plates and wire-grid polarizers in front of the arrays. The polarization modulator is the first component of the optical chain, reducing significantly the effect of instrumental polarization. In SWIPE we trade angular resolution for sensitivity. The diameter of the entrance pupil of the refractive telescope is 45 cm, while the field optics is optimized to collect tens of modes for each detector, thus boosting the absorbed power. This approach results in a FWHM resolution of 1.8, 1.5, 1.2 degrees at 95, 145, 245 GHz respectively. The expected performance of the three channels is limited by photon noise, resulting in a final sensitivity around 0.1-0.2 uK per beam, for a 13 days survey covering 25% of the sky.Comment: In press. Copyright 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibite

The Large-Scale Polarization Explorer (LSPE)

The LSPE is a balloon-borne mission aimed at measuring the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at large angular scales, and in particular to constrain the curl component of CMB polarization (B-modes) produced by tensor perturbations generated during cosmic inflation, in the very early universe. Its primary target is to improve the limit on the ratio of tensor to scalar perturbations amplitudes down to r = 0.03, at 99.7% confidence. A second target is to produce wide maps of foreground polarization generated in our Galaxy by synchrotron emission and interstellar dust emission. These will be important to map Galactic magnetic fields and to study the properties of ionized gas and of diffuse interstellar dust in our Galaxy. The mission is optimized for large angular scales, with coarse angular resolution (around 1.5 degrees FWHM), and wide sky coverage (25% of the sky). The payload will fly in a circumpolar long duration balloon mission during the polar night. Using the Earth as a giant solar shield, the instrument will spin in azimuth, observing a large fraction of the northern sky. The payload will host two instruments. An array of coherent polarimeters using cryogenic HEMT amplifiers will survey the sky at 43 and 90 GHz. An array of bolometric polarimeters, using large throughput multi-mode bolometers and rotating Half Wave Plates (HWP), will survey the same sky region in three bands at 95, 145 and 245 GHz. The wide frequency coverage will allow optimal control of the polarized foregrounds, with comparable angular resolution at all frequencies.Comment: In press. Copyright 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. One print or electronic copy may be made for personal use only. Systematic reproduction and distribution, duplication of any material in this paper for a fee or for commercial purposes, or modification of the content of the paper are prohibite

Conception and development of Kinetic Inductance Detectors for millimeter astronomy and X-rays

Le sujet principal de cette thèse est la conception et le développement d'un nouveau type de détecteur cryogénique, appelé Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detector, pour l'application dans l'astronomie millimétrique et la détection de photons de haute énergie. Concernant l'astrophysique, l'objectif était d'élaborer des grandes matrices de détecteurs qui montrent une sensibilité comparable aux bolomètres. J'ai travaillé sur le développement et les tests de pixels uniques, la réalisation de matrices et l'intégration dans la caméra NIKA (Néel IRAM KIDs Array), une expérience pour le télescope IRAM en Espagne. Cette activité a été couronnée par deux campagnes de démonstration au télescope avec d'excellents résultats: la caméra travaille dans deux bandes de fréquences (1,25 mm et 2 mm), chacune avec plus de 100 pixels, et présente une sensibilité d'environ 200 aW/sqrt(Hz). Un deuxième objectif de la thèse était de réaliser un concept des LEKIDs pour la détection de photons de haute énergie. Nous avons développé des nouveaux dispositifs pour étudier la détection de rayons X médiée par les phonons produits dans le substrat. Ces tests montrent un seuil de détection d'environ 60 eV ce qui est encourageant pour le future.The main subject of this PhD thesis is the concept and development of a novel kind of cryogenics detectors, called Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detector for the application in millimeter astronomy and in the detection of high energy photons. Regarding astrophysics, the goal was to obtain large arrays of detectors, demonstrating a sensitivity comparable with bolometers. I worked on the development and tests of single pixel, realization of the array and integration into NIKA (Neel IRAM KIDs Array), an experiment installed at the IRAM telescope in Spain. This activity culminated with two demonstrative runs at the telescope with excellent results: the camera, working at two frequencies (1.25 mm and 2 mm) with more than 200 pixels, obtained a sensitivity of about 200 aW/sqrt(Hz). The goal of the second application was to obtain a good concept for high energy photons detection with LEKIDs. We developed new devices to study the detection of X-ray mediated via phonons produced in the substrate. Those tests demonstrated a threshold level of about 60 eV, encouraging for the future

Conception et développement de détecteurs à inductance cinétique pour l'astronomie millimétriques et les rayons X

Le sujet principal de cette thèse est la conception et le développement d'un nouveau type de détecteur cryogénique, appelé Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detector, pour l'application dans l'astronomie millimétrique et la détection de photons de haute énergie. Concernant l'astrophysique, l'objectif était d'élaborer des grandes matrices de détecteurs qui montrent une sensibilité comparable aux bolomètres. J'ai travaillé sur le développement et les tests de pixels uniques, la réalisation de matrices et l'intégration dans la caméra NIKA (Néel IRAM KIDs Array), une expérience pour le télescope IRAM en Espagne. Cette activité a été couronnée par deux campagnes de démonstration au télescope avec d'excellents résultats: la caméra travaille dans deux bandes de fréquences (1,25 mm et 2 mm), chacune avec plus de 100 pixels, et présente une sensibilité d'environ 200 aW/sqrt(Hz). Un deuxième objectif de la thèse était de réaliser un concept des LEKIDs pour la détection de photons de haute énergie. Nous avons développé des nouveaux dispositifs pour étudier la détection de rayons X médiée par les phonons produits dans le substrat. Ces tests montrent un seuil de détection d'environ 60 eV ce qui est encourageant pour le future.The main subject of this PhD thesis is the concept and development of a novel kind of cryogenics detectors, called Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detector for the application in millimeter astronomy and in the detection of high energy photons. Regarding astrophysics, the goal was to obtain large arrays of detectors, demonstrating a sensitivity comparable with bolometers. I worked on the development and tests of single pixel, realization of the array and integration into NIKA (Neel IRAM KIDs Array), an experiment installed at the IRAM telescope in Spain. This activity culminated with two demonstrative runs at the telescope with excellent results: the camera, working at two frequencies (1.25 mm and 2 mm) with more than 200 pixels, obtained a sensitivity of about 200 aW/sqrt(Hz). The goal of the second application was to obtain a good concept for high energy photons detection with LEKIDs. We developed new devices to study the detection of X-ray mediated via phonons produced in the substrate. Those tests demonstrated a threshold level of about 60 eV, encouraging for the future.SAVOIE-SCD - Bib.électronique (730659901) / SudocGRENOBLE1/INP-Bib.électronique (384210012) / SudocGRENOBLE2/3-Bib.électronique (384219901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Design and optimization of Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors

We describe the design, optimization and optical tests of Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors for mm and sub-mm wavelengths. Our detectors are based on a novel resonator design, and can be easily tuned to suit different experimental needs by choosing the correct geometry. © 2010 IEEE

X-ray imaging using LEKIDs

We present the detection of 5.9 keV X-rays in a silicon wafer utilising an array of frequency multiplexed Kinetic Inductance Detectors. The readout electronics consists of a programmable digital electronics with an integrated 12-bit ADC, operating with a maximum frequency of 100 MHz. We implement a lumped element geometry, realising pixels as small as possible in order to achieve better position resolution. The whole system allows the simultaneous readout of 14 pixels with a bandwidth of 300 kHz, but it is easily scalable up to 100 pixels. A higher bandwidth detection, with less pixels, allows the reconstruction of the photon absorption position in the substrate up to hundreds of microns. This technological development could be applied in the next future to large area X-Ray Imaging. A better understanding of high energy photon and particle detection is also crucial for the space implementation of LEKIDs for mm-astronomy, where data loss due to Cosmic particles could be a major issue. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012

High-speed phonon imaging using frequency-multiplexed kinetic inductance detectors

We present a measurement of phonon propagation in a silicon wafer utilizing an array of frequency-multiplexed superconducting resonators coupled to a single transmission line. The electronic readout permits fully synchronous array sampling with a per-resonator bandwidth of 1.2 MHz, allowing submicrosecond array imaging. This technological achievement is potentially vital in a variety of low-temperature applications, including single-photon counting, quantum-computing, and dark-matter searches. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3459142

Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors for Long Duration Balloon experiments .

Long Duration Balloon experiments have played a key role in the study of the Cosmic Microwave Background. The measurement of its temperature anisotropies has been the first step towards a deeper understanding of the structure of the Universe. Yet to date many questions regarding its birth and evolution remain open. The polarization signal of the CMB can help us answer most of them. In particular, the so called B modes would be a direct test of the Inflation and could give information on the scale of energies at which it took place. The amplitude of the B modes is expected to be less then 1mu K. In order to measure this kind of signal one needs either a very long integration time, or a very fast mapping speed. In the case of LDB and satellite missions the second is the only viable solution. This poses a serious technological challenge as large arrays of detectors are usually very hard to implement. In this paper we present the working principle of the Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors and their status of development in Italy, focusing on the key aspects that make them ideal for application in LDBs experiments and in particular for a high purity, ultra-sensitive, polarization mapper