Reconstruction of primordial tensor power spectra from B-mode polarization of the cosmic microwave background

Given observations of B-mode polarization power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), we can reconstruct power spectra of primordial tensor modes from the early Universe without assuming their functional form such as a power-law spectrum. Shape of the reconstructed spectra can then be used to probe the origin of tensor modes in a model-independent manner. We use the Fisher matrix to calculate the covariance matrix of tensor power spectra reconstructed in bins. We find that the power spectra are best reconstructed at wavenumbers in the vicinity of $k\approx 6\times 10^{-4}$ and $5\times 10^{-3}~{\rm Mpc}^{-1}$, which correspond to the "reionization bump" at $\ell\lesssim 6$ and "recombination bump" at $\ell\approx 80$ of the CMB B-mode power spectrum, respectively. The error bar between these two wavenumbers is larger because of lack of the signal between the reionization and recombination bumps. The error bars increase sharply towards smaller (larger) wavenumbers because of the cosmic variance (CMB lensing and instrumental noise). To demonstrate utility of the reconstructed power spectra we investigate whether we can distinguish between various sources of tensor modes including those from the vacuum metric fluctuation and SU(2) gauge fields during single-field slow-roll inflation, open inflation and massive gravity inflation. The results depend on the model parameters, but we find that future CMB experiments are sensitive to differences in these models. We make our calculation tool available on-line.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, 4 tables; accepted version in Phys. Rev.

Calibration System with Cryogenically-Cooled Loads for CMB Polarization Detectors

We present a novel system to calibrate millimeter-wave polarimeters for CMB polarization measurements. This technique is an extension of the conventional metal mirror rotation approach, however it employs cryogenically-cooled blackbody absorbers. The primary advantage of this system is that it can generate a slightly polarized signal ($\sim100$ mK) in the laboratory; this is at a similar level to that measured by ground-based CMB polarization experiments observing a $\sim$ 10 K sky. It is important to reproduce the observing condition in the laboratry for reliable characterization of polarimeters before deployment. In this paper, we present the design and principle of the system, and demonstrate its use with a coherent-type polarimeter used for an actual CMB polarization experiment. This technique can also be applied to incoherent-type polarimeters and it is very promising for the next-generation CMB polarization experiments.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures Submitted to RS

Innovative Demodulation Scheme for Coherent Detectors in CMB Experiments

We propose an innovative demodulation scheme for coherent detectors used in cosmic microwave background polarization experiments. Removal of non-white noise, e.g., narrow-band noise, in detectors is one of the key requirements for the experiments. A combination of modulation and demodulation is used to extract polarization signals as well as to suppress such noise. Traditional demodulation, which is based on the two- point numerical differentiation, works as a first-order high pass filter for the noise. The proposed demodulation is based on the three-point numerical differentiation. It works as a second-order high pass filter. By using a real detector, we confirmed significant improvements of suppression power for the narrow-band noise. We also found improvement of the noise floor.Comment: 3 pages, 4 figure

Finding the chiral gravitational wave background of an axion-SU(2) inflationary model using CMB observations and laser interferometers

A detection of B-mode polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies would confirm the presence of a primordial gravitational wave background (GWB). In the inflation paradigm this would be an unprecedented probe of the energy scale of inflation as it is directly proportional to the power spectrum of the GWB. However, similar tensor perturbations can be produced by the matter fields present during inflation, breaking this simple relationship. It is therefore important to be able to distinguish between different generation mechanisms of the GWB. In this paper, we analyse the detectability of a new axion-SU(2) gauge field model using its chiral, scale-dependent tensor spectrum. We forecast the detectability of the resulting CMB TB and EB cross-correlations by the LiteBIRD satellite, considering the effects of residual foregrounds, gravitational lensing, and for the first time assess the ability of such an experiment to jointly detect primordial TB and EB spectra and self-calibrate its polarimeter. We find that LiteBIRD will be able to detect the chiral signal for $r_*>0.03$ with $r_*$ denoting the tensor-to-scalar ratio at the peak scale, and that the maximum signal-to-noise for $r_*<0.07$ is $\sim 2$. We go on to consider an advanced stage of a LISA-like mission, and find that such experiments would complement CMB observations by providing sensitivity to GWB chirality on scales inaccessible to the CMB. We conclude that in order to use the CMB to distinguish this model from a conventional vacuum fluctuation model two-point statistics provide some power, but to achieve high statistical significance we would require higher order statistics which take advantage of the model's non-Gaussianity. On the other hand, in the case of a spectrum peaked at very small scales, inaccessible to the CMB, a highly significant detection could be made using space-based laser interferometers.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures, accepted by PhysRev

Digital frequency domain multiplexing readout electronics for the next generation of millimeter telescopes

Frequency domain multiplexing (fMux) is an established technique for the readout of transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers in millimeter-wavelength astrophysical instrumentation. In fMux, the signals from multiple detectors are read out on a single pair of wires reducing the total cryogenic thermal loading as well as the cold component complexity and cost of a system. The current digital fMux system, in use by POLARBEAR, EBEX, and the South Pole Telescope, is limited to a multiplexing factor of 16 by the dynamic range of the Superconducting Quantum Interference Device pre-amplifier and the total system bandwidth. Increased multiplexing is key for the next generation of large format TES cameras, such as SPT-3G and POLARBEAR2, which plan to have on the of order 15,000 detectors. Here, we present the next generation fMux readout, focusing on the warm electronics. In this system, the multiplexing factor increases to 64 channels per module (2 wires) while maintaining low noise levels and detector stability. This is achieved by increasing the system bandwidth, reducing the dynamic range requirements though active feedback, and digital synthesis of voltage biases with a novel polyphase filter algorithm. In addition, a version of the new fMux readout includes features such as low power consumption and radiation-hard components making it viable for future space-based millimeter telescopes such as the LiteBIRD satellite.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures. To be published in Proceedings of SPIE Volume 9153. Presented at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2014, conference 915