MKID development for SuperSpec: an on-chip, mm-wave, filter-bank spectrometer

E. Shirokoff; P. S. Barry; C. M. Bradford; G. Chattopadhyay; P. Day; S. Doyle; S. Hailey-Dunsheath; M. I. Hollister; A. Kovács; C. McKenney; H. G. Leduc; N. Llombart; D. P. Marrone; P. Mauskopf; R. O'Brient; S. Padin; T. Reck; L. J. Swenson; J. Zmuidzinas

doi:10.1117/12.927070

27 September 2012 MKID development for SuperSpec: an on-chip, mm-wave, filter-bank spectrometer

E. Shirokoff, P. S. Barry, C. M. Bradford, G. Chattopadhyay, P. Day, S. Doyle, S. Hailey-Dunsheath, M. I. Hollister, A. Kovács, C. McKenney, H. G. Leduc, N. Llombart, D. P. Marrone, P. Mauskopf, R. O'Brient, S. Padin, T. Reck, L. J. Swenson, J. Zmuidzinas

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8452, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VI; 84520R (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.927070
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2012, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Abstract

SuperSpec is an ultra-compact spectrometer-on-a-chip for millimeter and submillimeter wavelength astronomy. Its very small size, wide spectral bandwidth, and highly multiplexed readout will enable construction of powerful multibeam spectrometers for high-redshift observations. The spectrometer consists of a horn-coupled microstrip feedline, a bank of narrow-band superconducting resonator filters that provide spectral selectivity, and kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) that detect the power admitted by each filter resonator. The design is realized using thin-film lithographic structures on a silicon wafer. The mm-wave microstrip feedline and spectral filters of the first prototype are designed to operate in the band from 195-310 GHz and are fabricated from niobium with at T_c of 9.2K. The KIDs are designed to operate at hundreds of MHz and are fabricated from titanium nitride with a T_c of ~ 2 K. Radiation incident on the horn travels along the mm-wave microstrip, passes through the frequency-selective filter, and is finally absorbed by the corresponding KID where it causes a measurable shift in the resonant frequency. In this proceedings, we present the design of the KIDs employed in SuperSpec and the results of initial laboratory testing of a prototype device. We will also brie describe the ongoing development of a demonstration instrument that will consist of two 500-channel, R=700 spectrometers, one operating in the 1-mm atmospheric window and the other covering the 650 and 850 micron bands.

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E. Shirokoff, P. S. Barry, C. M. Bradford, G. Chattopadhyay, P. Day, S. Doyle, S. Hailey-Dunsheath, M. I. Hollister, A. Kovács, C. McKenney, H. G. Leduc, N. Llombart, D. P. Marrone, P. Mauskopf, R. O'Brient, S. Padin, T. Reck, L. J. Swenson, and J. Zmuidzinas "MKID development for SuperSpec: an on-chip, mm-wave, filter-bank spectrometer", Proc. SPIE 8452, Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy VI, 84520R (27 September 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.927070

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