Recent progress on photon-counting superconducting detectors for submillimeter astronomy

J. Teufel; Thomas R. Stevenson; W. T. Hsieh; Mary J. Li; K. W. Rhee; Carl Michael Stahle; Ed Wollack; A. Aassime; P. Delsing; P. Wahlgren; Daniel E. Prober; Robert J. Schoelkopf

doi:10.1117/12.459712

17 February 2003 Recent progress on photon-counting superconducting detectors for submillimeter astronomy

J. Teufel, Thomas R. Stevenson, W. T. Hsieh, Mary J. Li, K. W. Rhee, Carl Michael Stahle, Ed Wollack, A. Aassime, P. Delsing, P. Wahlgren, Daniel E. Prober, Robert J. Schoelkopf

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 4855, Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors for Astronomy; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459712
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2002, Waikoloa, Hawai'i, United States

Abstract

We are developing superconducting direct detectors for submillimeter astronomy that can in principle detect individual photons. These devices, Single Quasiparticle Photon Counter (SQPC), operate by measuring the quasiparticles generated when single Cooper-pairs are broken by absorption of a submillimeter photon. This photoconductive type of device could yield high quantum efficiency, large responsivity, microsecond response times, and sensitivities in the range of 10^-20 Watts per root Hertz. The use of antenna coupling to a small absorber also suggests the potential for novel instrument designs and scalability to imaging or spectroscopic arrays. We will describe the device concept, recent results on fabrication and electrical characterization of these detectors, issues related to saturation and optimization of the device parameters. Finally, we have developed practical readout amplifiers for these high-impedance cryogenic detectors based on the Radio-Frequency Single-Electron Transistor (RF-SET). We will describe results of a demonstration of a transimpedance amplifier based on closed-loop operation of an RF-SET, and a demonstration of a wavelength-division multiplexing scheme for the RF-SET. These developments will be a key ingredient in scaling to large arrays of high-sensitivity detectors.

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J. Teufel, Thomas R. Stevenson, W. T. Hsieh, Mary J. Li, K. W. Rhee, Carl Michael Stahle, Ed Wollack, A. Aassime, P. Delsing, P. Wahlgren, Daniel E. Prober, and Robert J. Schoelkopf "Recent progress on photon-counting superconducting detectors for submillimeter astronomy", Proc. SPIE 4855, Millimeter and Submillimeter Detectors for Astronomy, (17 February 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.459712

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