Performance of Hybrid NbTiN-Al Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors as Direct Detectors for Sub-millimeter Astronomy

Bibliographic Details
Title: Performance of Hybrid NbTiN-Al Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors as Direct Detectors for Sub-millimeter Astronomy
Authors: Janssen, R. M. J., Baselmans, J. J. A., Endo, A., Ferrari, L., Yates, S. J. C., Baryshev, A. M., Klapwijk, T. M.
Source: Proc. SPIE 9153, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VII, 91530T (July 23, 2014)
Publication Year: 2014
Collection: Astrophysics
Condensed Matter
Physics (Other)
Subject Terms: Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics, Condensed Matter - Superconductivity, Physics - Instrumentation and Detectors
More Details: In the next decades millimeter and sub-mm astronomy requires large format imaging arrays and broad-band spectrometers to complement the high spatial and spectral resolution of the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array. The desired sensors for these instruments should have a background limited sensitivity and a high optical efficiency and enable arrays thousands of pixels in size. Hybrid microwave kinetic inductance detectors consisting of NbTiN and Al have shown to satisfy these requirements. We present the second generation hybrid NbTiN-Al MKIDs, which are photon noise limited in both phase and amplitude readout for loading levels $P_{850GHz} \geq 10$ fW. Thanks to the increased responsivity, the photon noise level achieved in phase allows us to simultaneously read out approximately 8000 pixels using state-of-the-art electronics. In addition, the choice of superconducting materials and the use of a Si lens in combination with a planar antenna gives these resonators the flexibility to operate within the frequency range $0.09 < \nu < 1.1$ THz. Given these specifications, hybrid NbTiN-Al MKIDs will enable astronomically usable kilopixel arrays for sub-mm imaging and moderate resolution spectroscopy.
Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Presented at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VII
Document Type: Working Paper
DOI: 10.1117/12.2055537
Access URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/1408.3314
Accession Number: edsarx.1408.3314
Database: arXiv
More Details
DOI:10.1117/12.2055537