276 research outputs found
Development of Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detectors for the W-Band
We are developing a Lumped Element Kinetic Inductance Detector (LEKID) array
able to operate in the W-band (75-110 GHz) in order to perform ground-based
Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and mm-wave astronomical observations. The
W-band is close to optimal in terms of contamination of the CMB from Galactic
synchrotron, free-free, and thermal interstellar dust. In this band, the
atmosphere has very good transparency, allowing interesting ground-based
observations with large (>30 m) telescopes, achieving high angular resolution
(<0.4 arcmin). In this work we describe the startup measurements devoted to the
optimization of a W-band camera/spectrometer prototype for large aperture
telescopes like the 64 m SRT (Sardinia Radio Telescope). In the process of
selecting the best superconducting film for the LEKID, we characterized a 40 nm
thick Aluminum 2-pixel array. We measured the minimum frequency able to break
CPs (i.e. ) obtaining
GHz, that corresponds to a critical temperature of 1.31 K. This is not suitable
to cover the entire W-band. For an 80 nm layer the minimum frequency decreases
to 93.2 GHz, which corresponds to a critical temperature of 1.28 K; this value
is still suboptimal for W-band operation. Further increase of the Al film
thickness results in bad performance of the detector. We have thus considered a
Titanium-Aluminum bi-layer (10 nm thick Ti + 25 nm thick Al, already tested in
other laboratories), for which we measured a critical temperature of 820 mK and
a cut-on frequency of 65 GHz: so this solution allows operation in the entire
W-band.Comment: 16th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detectors, Grenoble
20-24 July 2015, Journal of Low Temperature Physics, Accepte
Energy resolution and efficiency of phonon-mediated Kinetic Inductance Detectors for light detection
The development of sensitive cryogenic light detectors is of primary interest
for bolometric experiments searching for rare events like dark matter
interactions or neutrino-less double beta decay. Thanks to their good energy
resolution and the natural multiplexed read-out, Kinetic Inductance Detectors
(KIDs) are particularly suitable for this purpose. To efficiently couple
KIDs-based light detectors to the large crystals used by the most advanced
bolometric detectors, active surfaces of several cm are needed. For this
reason, we are developing phonon-mediated detectors. In this paper we present
the results obtained with a prototype consisting of four 40 nm thick aluminum
resonators patterned on a 22 cm silicon chip, and calibrated with
optical pulses and X-rays. The detector features a noise resolution
eV and an (182) efficiency.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
New application of superconductors: high sensitivity cryogenic light detectors
In this paper we describe the current status of the CALDER project, which is
developing ultra-sensitive light detectors based on superconductors for
cryogenic applications. When we apply an AC current to a superconductor, the
Cooper pairs oscillate and acquire kinetic inductance, that can be measured by
inserting the superconductor in a LC circuit with high merit factor.
Interactions in the superconductor can break the Cooper pairs, causing sizable
variations in the kinetic inductance and, thus, in the response of the LC
circuit. The continuous monitoring of the amplitude and frequency modulation
allows to reconstruct the incident energy with excellent sensitivity. This
concept is at the basis of Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs), that are
characterized by natural aptitude to multiplexed read-out (several sensors can
be tuned to different resonant frequencies and coupled to the same line),
resolution of few eV, stable behavior over a wide temperature range, and ease
in fabrication. We present the results obtained by the CALDER collaboration
with 2x2 cm2 substrates sampled by 1 or 4 Aluminum KIDs. We show that the
performances of the first prototypes are already competitive with those of
other commonly used light detectors, and we discuss the strategies for a
further improvement
Characterization of the KID-Based Light Detectors of CALDER
The aim of the Cryogenic wide-Area Light Detectors with Excellent Resolution
(CALDER) project is the development of light detectors with active area of
cm and noise energy resolution smaller than 20 eV RMS,
implementing phonon-mediated kinetic inductance detectors. The detectors are
developed to improve the background suppression in large-mass bolometric
experiments such as CUORE, via the double read-out of the light and the heat
released by particles interacting in the bolometers. In this work, we present
the characterization of the first light detectors developed by CALDER. We
describe the analysis tools to evaluate the resonator parameters (resonant
frequency and quality factors) taking into account simultaneously all the
resonance distortions introduced by the read-out chain (as the feed-line
impedance and its mismatch) and by the power stored in the resonator itself. We
detail the method for the selection of the optimal point for the detector
operation (maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio). Finally, we present the
response of the detector to optical pulses in the energy range of 0-30 keV
Kinetic Inductance Detectors for the OLIMPO experiment: design and pre-flight characterization
We designed, fabricated, and characterized four arrays of horn--coupled,
lumped element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs), optimized to work in the
spectral bands of the balloon-borne OLIMPO experiment. OLIMPO is a 2.6 m
aperture telescope, aimed at spectroscopic measurements of the
Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect. OLIMPO will also validate the LEKID technology
in a representative space environment. The corrected focal plane is filled with
diffraction limited horn-coupled KID arrays, with 19, 37, 23, 41 active pixels
respectively at 150, 250, 350, and 460GHz. Here we report on the full
electrical and optical characterization performed on these detector arrays
before the flight. In a dark laboratory cryostat, we measured the resonator
electrical parameters, such as the quality factors and the electrical
responsivities, at a base temperature of 300mK. The measured average
resonator s are 1.7, 7.0, 1.0, and
1.0 for the 150, 250, 350, and 460GHz arrays, respectively.
The average electrical phase responsivities on resonance are 1.4rad/pW,
1.5rad/pW, 2.1rad/pW, and 2.1rad/pW; the electrical noise
equivalent powers are 45, 160,
80, and 140, at 12 Hz. In the OLIMPO
cryostat, we measured the optical properties, such as the noise equivalent
temperatures (NET) and the spectral responses. The measured NETs are
, , ,
and , at 12 Hz; under 78, 88, 92, and 90 mK
Rayleigh-Jeans blackbody load changes respectively for the 150, 250, 350, and
460 GHz arrays. The spectral responses were characterized with the OLIMPO
differential Fourier transform spectrometer (DFTS) up to THz frequencies, with
a resolution of 1.8 GHz.Comment: Published on JCA
CALDER - Neutrinoless double-beta decay identification in TeO bolometers with kinetic inductance detectors
Next-generation experiments searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay must
be sensitive to a Majorana neutrino mass as low as 10 meV. CUORE, an array of
988 TeO bolometers being commissioned at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran
Sasso in Italy, features an expected sensitivity of 50-130 meV at 90% C.L, that
can be improved by removing the background from radioactivity. This is
possible if, in coincidence with the heat release in a bolometer, the Cherenkov
light emitted by the signal is detected. The amount of light detected
is so far limited to only 100 eV, requiring low-noise cryogenic light
detectors. The CALDER project (Cryogenic wide-Area Light Detectors with
Excellent Resolution) aims at developing a small prototype experiment
consisting of TeO bolometers coupled to new light detectors based on
kinetic inductance detectors. The R&D is focused on the light detectors that
could be implemented in a next-generation neutrinoless double-beta decay
experiment.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, added reference to first result
Phonon-Mediated KIDs as Light Detectors for Rare-Event Search: The CALDER Project
Background suppression plays a crucial role in experiments searching for rare events, like neutrino-less double beta decay (0 DBD) and dark matter. Large mass bolometers that are among the most competitive devices in this field would largely benefit from the development of ultrasensitive light detectors, as the combined readout of the bolometric and light signals enables the particle identification. The CALDER collaboration is developing cryogenic light detectors that will match the requirements of next generation experiments: noise lower than 20 eV RMS, large active area (several cm ), wide temperature range of operation, and ease in fabricating and operating a thousand of detectors. For this purpose, we are exploiting the excellent energy resolution and the natural multiplexed read-out provided by kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). These devices can be operated in a phonon-mediated approach, in which KIDs are coupled to a large insulating substrate in order to increase the active surface from a few mm to 25 cm . Our current best prototype, based on aluminum LEKIDs, reached a baseline sensitivity of 80 eV with an overall efficiency of about 20 %
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
CALDER - Neutrinoless double-beta decay identification in TeO2bolometers with kinetic inductance detectors
Next-generation experiments searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay must be sensitive to a Majorana neutrino mass as low as 10 meV. CUORE, an array of 988 TeO2 bolometers being commissioned at Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy, features an expected sensitivity of 50-130 meV at 90% C.L, that can be improved by removing the background from α radioactivity. This is possible if, in coincidence with the heat release in a bolometer, the Cherenkov light emitted by the β signal is detected. The amount of light detected is so far limited to only 100 eV, requiring low-noise cryogenic light detectors. The CALDER project (Cryogenic wide-Area Light Detectors with Excellent Resolution) aims at developing a small prototype experiment consisting of TeO2 bolometers coupled to new light detectors based on kinetic inductance detectors. The present R&D is focused on the light detectors. We present the latest results and the perspectives of the project
- …