Photometric and Spectroscopic Superconducting Imaging Technology for Astrophysics

天体物理学光度和光谱超导成像技术

• 批准号: ST/M000818/1
• 负责人: Stafford Withington
• 金额: $ 123.53万
• 依托单位: University of Cambridge
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2015 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FM000818%2F1
• 关键词: Photometric; Spectroscopic; Superconducting; Imaging; Technology

The submillimetre-wave (3mm-300um) and far-infrared (300um-20um) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum are of considerable importance for astronomy because they contain a wealth of information about the cool, optically dark Universe. For example, the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation, which is a relic of the Big Bang, can be found at the longest wavelengths, and thermal radiation from distant, highly redshifted galaxies can be found at the shortest wavelengths. These regions also contain thousands of spectral lines from numerous molecular and atomic species, which are important for studying the chemistry and physics of regions where stars and planets are being formed. It is exceptionally difficult to carry out astronomy at submillimetre wavelengths because observations must be made from high dry sites in remote places or from space. The detection of signals requires large and expensive telescopes, and complex instruments must be cooled to temperatures of between 4K and 100 mK. It is simply not possible to buy suitable cameras and spectrometers, and instead astronomers must develop their own imaging technology. The proposed programme aims to develop a new generation of extremely sensitive detectors and receivers by fabricating microcircuits out of materials called superconductors. Superconductors have the property that their electrical resistance falls to zero below a critical temperature, and magnetic flux is expelled. Indeed, the superconducting state is a distinct state of matter, which has many curious properties. By fabricating microcircuits from Nb, Ta, Al, Mo, NbN and NbTiN and by using modern Si and SiN micromachining techniques, it is possible to make detectors having extraordinary characteristics. For example, some of our infrared detectors are capable of sensing a light bulb being turned on and off for just 1 second at a distance of 10 million miles, whilst others operate in a truly quantum mechanical way, displaying non-classical conversion gain and sensitivities limited by the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. The programme described in this application concentrates on three specific devices: (i) Transition Edge Sensors (TESs), which operate by using the sharp transition of a superconductor, to its normal state, to measure the minute change in temperature that occurs when infrared power is absorbed by a tiny free-standing micro-machined SiN island; (ii) Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs), which essentially measure a small change that occurs in the amount by which magnetic field penetrates into the surface of a superconductor when photons are absorbed; (iii) Superconductor Insulator Superconductor (SIS) mixers, which use extremely thin layers of superconducting and insulating material to create diodes, in which quantum mechanical tunnelling occurs, creating highly sensitive radio receivers. Each of these device types can be used singly or packed into arrays of multiple pixels to form cameras. Superconducting mixers require coherent, phased locked reference sources called local oscillators, which are extremely difficult to realise at supra-THz frequencies. The development of suitable coherent source technology is therefore an essential part of our programme. Another innovative part of our proposed work is to develop microscopically patterned phononic filters that control the flow of heat onto devices, and reduce thermal fluctuation noise, by forming filters that attenuate elastic waves in support structures. The core themes of our proposed research into quantum sensor physics are intrinsically intellectually fruitful, and are of central importance to enabling major areas of astronomy. At the end of the work, we will have demonstrated a new generation of imaging technology based on advanced superconducting devices that will be available to construct the highly sensitive submillimetre-wave and far-infrared instruments needed for the next generation of ground-based and space-borne astronomy.

电磁波谱的亚毫米波（3mm-300um）和远红外（300um-20um）区域对于天文学具有相当重要的意义，因为它们包含有关冷、光学暗宇宙的大量信息。例如，宇宙微波背景辐射是大爆炸的遗迹，可以在最长的波长下发现，而来自遥远、高度红移星系的热辐射可以在最短的波长下发现。这些区域还包含来自众多分子和原子物种的数千条谱线，这对于研究恒星和行星形成区域的化学和物理非常重要。在亚毫米波长下进行天文学异常困难，因为观测必须在偏远地区的高干燥地点或太空进行。信号探测需要大型且昂贵的望远镜，复杂的仪器必须冷却至 4K 至 100 mK 的温度。根本不可能购买合适的相机和光谱仪，天文学家必须开发自己的成像技术。该计划旨在通过用超导体材料制造微电路来开发新一代极其灵敏的探测器和接收器。超导体具有以下特性：在临界温度以下，其电阻降至零，并且磁通量被排出。事实上，超导态是一种独特的物质状态，具有许多奇怪的特性。通过用 Nb、Ta、Al、Mo、NbN 和 NbTiN 制造微电路并使用现代 Si 和 SiN 微加工技术，可以制造具有非凡特性的探测器。例如，我们的一些红外探测器能够在 1000 万英里的距离上感应到灯泡打开和关闭仅 1 秒，而其他探测器则以真正的量子力学方式运行，显示非经典转换增益和灵敏度受海森堡测不准原理的限制。本申请中描述的程序集中于三个特定设备：（i）过渡边缘传感器（TES），它通过使用超导体到其正常状态的急剧转变来工作，以测量红外功率时发生的温度的微小变化。被一个微小的独立式微加工 SiN 岛吸收； (ii) 动感电感探测器（KID），其本质上是测量光子被吸收时磁场渗透到超导体表面的量发生的微小变化； (iii) 超导绝缘体超导（SIS）混频器，它使用极薄的超导和绝缘材料层来创建二极管，其中发生量子力学隧道效应，从而创建高灵敏度的无线电接收器。这些设备类型中的每一种都可以单独使用或打包成多个像素阵列以形成相机。超导混频器需要称为本机振荡器的相干锁相参考源，这在超太赫兹频率下实现起来极其困难。因此，开发合适的相干源技术是我们计划的重要组成部分。我们提出的工作的另一个创新部分是开发微观图案的声子滤波器，通过形成衰减支撑结构中的弹性波的滤波器来控制热量流到设备上，并减少热波动噪声。我们提出的量子传感器物理研究的核心主题本质上是富有成果的，对于实现天文学的主要领域至关重要。工作结束时，我们将展示基于先进超导器件的新一代成像技术，该技术将可用于构建下一代地面和太空所需的高灵敏度亚毫米波和远红外仪器- 传播天文学。

项目成果

A Compact Microstrip-Fed Planar Dual-Dipole Antenna for Broadband Applications

适用于宽带应用的紧凑型微带馈电平面双偶极天线

• DOI: http://dx.10.1109/lawp.2015.2462114
• 发表时间: 2016
• 期刊: IEEE Antennas and Wireless Propagation Letters
• 影响因子: 4.2
• 作者: Tan B

Electrothermal model of kinetic inductance detectors

动感电感探测器的电热模型

• DOI: http://dx.10.1088/0953-2048/28/4/045012
• 发表时间: 2015
• 期刊: Superconductor Science and Technology
• 影响因子: 3.6
• 作者: Thomas C

Electrothermal feedback in kinetic inductance detectors

动感电感探测器中的电热反馈

• DOI: http://dx.10.17863/cam.10140
• 发表时间: 2017
• 作者: Guruswamy T

Modelling proximity effects in transition edge sensors to investigate the influence of lateral metal structures

对过渡边缘传感器中的邻近效应进行建模以研究横向金属结构的影响

• DOI: http://dx.10.17863/cam.12659
• 发表时间: 2017
• 作者: Harwin R

Nonequilibrium superconducting thin films with sub-gap and pair-breaking photon illumination

具有亚能隙和破对光子照明的非平衡超导薄膜

• DOI: 10.1088/0953-2048/28/5/054002
• 发表时间: 2015-01-08
• 期刊: Superconductor Science and Technology
• 影响因子: 3.6
• 作者: T. Guruswamy;D. Goldie;S. Withington
• 通讯作者: S. Withington