The PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) is under study as a potential far-IR space mission, featuring actively cooled optics, and both imaging and spectroscopic instrumentation. To fully take advantage of the low background afforded by a cold telescope, spectroscopy with PRIMA requires detectors with a noise equivalent power (NEP) better than 1×10−19 W Hz−1/2. To meet this goal, we are developing large format arrays of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) to work across the 25–250 μm range. Here, we present the design and characterization of a single pixel prototype detector optimized for 210 μm. The KID consists of a lens-coupled aluminum inductor-absorber connected to a niobium interdigitated capacitor to form a 2 GHz resonator. We have fabricated a small array with 28 KIDs, and we measure the performance of one of these detectors with an optical loading in the 0.01–300 aW range. At low loading, the detector achieves an NEP of 9×10−20 W Hz−1/2 at a 10 Hz readout frequency. An extrapolation of these measurements suggests this detector may remain photon noise limited at up to 20 fW of loading, offering a high dynamic range for PRIMA observations of bright astronomical sources.
", "doi": "10.1109/tthz.2024.3454436", "issn": "2156-342X", "publisher": "IEEE", "publication": "IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology", "publication_date": "2025-07", "series_number": "4", "volume": "15", "issue": "4", "pages": "546 - 557" }, { "id": "authors:qxkag-xvs52", "collection": "authors", "collection_id": "qxkag-xvs52", "cite_using_url": "https://authors.library.caltech.edu/records/qxkag-xvs52", "type": "article", "title": "A 25-micrometer Single-Photon-Sensitive Kinetic Inductance Detector", "author": [ { "family_name": "Day", "given_name": "Peter K.", "orcid": "0000-0002-3670-9017" }, { "family_name": "Cothard", "given_name": "Nicholas F.", "orcid": "0000-0002-6151-6292" }, { "family_name": "Albert", "given_name": "Christopher", "clpid": "Albert-Christopher" }, { "family_name": "Foote", "given_name": "Logan", "orcid": "0000-0002-4162-8609", "clpid": "Foote-Logan" }, { "family_name": "Kane", "given_name": "Elijah", "clpid": "Kane-Elijah" }, { "family_name": "Eom", "given_name": "Byeong H.", "orcid": "0000-0002-0976-0861" }, { "family_name": "Basu Thakur", "given_name": "Ritoban", "orcid": "0000-0002-3351-3078" }, { "family_name": "Janssen", "given_name": "Reinier M.\u2009J.", "orcid": "0000-0001-9122-9668" }, { "family_name": "Beyer", "given_name": "Andrew", "orcid": "0000-0002-1045-1652" }, { "family_name": "Echternach", "given_name": "Pierre M.", "orcid": "0000-0001-9643-5110" }, { "family_name": "van Berkel", "given_name": "Sven", "orcid": "0000-0002-0088-768X" }, { "family_name": "Hailey-Dunsheath", "given_name": "Steven", "orcid": "0000-0002-8504-7988", "clpid": "Hailey-Dunsheath-S" }, { "family_name": "Stevenson", "given_name": "Thomas R." }, { "family_name": "Dabironezare", "given_name": "Shahab", "orcid": "0000-0002-9032-2227" }, { "family_name": "Baselmans", "given_name": "Jochem J.\u2009A.", "orcid": "0000-0002-3385-7305" }, { "family_name": "Glenn", "given_name": "Jason", "orcid": "0000-0001-7527-2017" }, { "family_name": "Bradford", "given_name": "C. Matt" }, { "family_name": "Leduc", "given_name": "Henry G." } ], "abstract": "We report measurements characterizing the performance of a kinetic inductance detector array designed for a wavelength of 25 microns and very low optical background level suitable for applications such as a far-infrared instrument on a cryogenically cooled space telescope. In a pulse-counting mode of operation at low optical flux, the detectors can resolve individual 25-micron photons. In an integrating mode, the detectors remain photon noise limited over more than 6 orders of magnitude in absorbed power from 70 zW to 200 fW, with a limiting noise equivalent power of 4.6×10−20 W Hz−1 at 1 Hz. In addition, the detectors are highly stable with flat power spectra under optical load down to 1 mHz. Operational parameters of the detector are determined including the efficiency of conversion of the incident optical power into quasiparticles in the aluminum absorbing element and the quasiparticle self-recombination constant.
", "doi": "10.1103/physrevx.14.041005", "issn": "2160-3308", "publisher": "American Physical Society", "publication": "Physical Review X", "publication_date": "2024-10/2024-12", "series_number": "4", "volume": "14", "issue": "4", "pages": "041005" }, { "id": "authors:a42mr-bv292", "collection": "authors", "collection_id": "a42mr-bv292", "cite_using_url": "https://authors.library.caltech.edu/records/a42mr-bv292", "type": "article", "title": "High-sensitivity transition-edge-sensed bolometers: Improved speed and characterization with AC and DC bias", "author": [ { "family_name": "Foote", "given_name": "Logan", "orcid": "0000-0002-4162-8609", "clpid": "Foote-Logan" }, { "family_name": "Audley", "given_name": "Michael D.", "orcid": "0000-0003-0682-5372", "clpid": "Audley-Michael-D" }, { "family_name": "Bradford", "given_name": "Charles (Matt)", "orcid": "0000-0001-5261-7094", "clpid": "Bradford-Charles-Matt" }, { "family_name": "de Lange", "given_name": "Gert", "orcid": "0000-0002-9420-3022", "clpid": "de-Lange-Gert" }, { "family_name": "Echternach", "given_name": "Pierre", "orcid": "0000-0001-9643-5110", "clpid": "Echternach-Pierre" }, { "family_name": "Fixsen", "given_name": "Dale J.", "clpid": "Fixsen-Dale-J" }, { "family_name": "Hui", "given_name": "Howard", "orcid": "0000-0001-5812-1903", "clpid": "Hui-Howard" }, { "family_name": "Kenyon", "given_name": "Matthew", "clpid": "Kenyon-Matthew" }, { "family_name": "Nguyen", "given_name": "Hien", "clpid": "Nguyen-Hien" }, { "family_name": "O'Brient", "given_name": "Roger", "orcid": "0000-0002-4987-6375", "clpid": "O'Brient-Roger" }, { "family_name": "Sharp", "given_name": "Elmer H.", "orcid": "0009-0006-6249-0350", "clpid": "Sharp-Elmer-H" }, { "family_name": "Staguhn", "given_name": "Johannes G.", "orcid": "0000-0002-8437-0433", "clpid": "Staguhn-Johannes-G" }, { "family_name": "van der Kuur", "given_name": "Jan", "orcid": "0000-0002-0082-6641", "clpid": "van-der-Kuur-Jan" }, { "family_name": "Zmuidzinas", "given_name": "Jonas", "orcid": "0000-0002-3330-5439", "clpid": "Zmuidzinas-Jonas" } ], "abstract": "We report on efforts to improve the speed of low-G far-infrared transition-edged-sensed bolometers. We use a fabrication process that does not require any dry etch steps to reduce heat capacity on the suspended device and measure a reduction in the detector time constant. However, we also measure an increase in the temperature-normalized thermal conductance (G) and a corresponding increase in the noise-equivalent power (NEP). We employ a new near-IR photon-noise technique using a near-IR laser to calibrate the frequency-domain multiplexed AC system and compare the results to a well-understood DC circuit. We measure an NEP white noise level of 0.8\u2009aW/rtHz with a 1/f knee below 0.1\u2009Hz and a time constant of 3.2\u2009ms.", "doi": "10.1063/5.0157208", "issn": "0021-8979", "publisher": "American Institute of Publishing", "publication": "Journal of Applied Physics", "publication_date": "2023-09-07", "series_number": "9", "volume": "134", "issue": "9", "pages": "094503" } ]