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Development of the nano-HEB array for low-background far-IR applications
Karasik, Boris S.; Pereverzev, Sergey V.; Olaya, David; Gershenson, Michael E.; Cantor, Robin; Kawamura, Jonathan H.; Day, Peter K.; Bumble, Bruce; LeDuc, Henry G; Monacos, Steve P.; Harding, Dennis G.; Santavicca, Daniel; Carter, Faustin; Prober, Daniel E.
Keywords:hot-electron; nanobolometer; single-photon; FIR detector; antenna-coupled
Publisher:Pasadena, CA : Jet Propulsion Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2010
Citation:SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 2010, San Diego, California, June 27 - July 2, 2010
Abstract:
We present an overview of the recent progress made in the development of a far-IR array of ultrasensitive hot-electron
nanobolometers (nano-HEB) made from thin titanium (Ti) films. We studied electrical noise, signal and noise
bandwidth, single-photon detection, optical noise equivalent power (NEP), and a microwave SQUID (MSQUID) based
frequency domain multiplexing (FDM) scheme. The obtained results demonstrate the very low electrical NEP down to
1.5×10-²⁰ W/Hz¹/² at 50 mK determined by the dominating phonon noise. The NEP increases with temperature as ~ T³
reaching ~ 10-¹⁷ W/Hz¹/² at the device critical temperature TC = 330-360 mK. Optical NEP = 8.6×10-¹⁸ W/Hz¹/² at 357
mK and 1.4×10-¹⁸ W/Hz¹/² at 100 mK respectively, agree with thermal and electrical data. The optical coupling
efficiency provided by a planar antenna was greater than 50%. Single 8-μm photons have been detected for the first time
using a nano-HEB operating at 50-200 mK thus demonstrating a potential of these detectors for future photon-counting
applications in mid-IR and far-IR. In order to accommodate the relatively high detector speed (~ μs at 300 mK, ~ 100 μs
at 100 mK), an MSQUID based FDM multiplexed readout with GHz carrier frequencies has been built. Both the readout
noise ~ 2 pA/Hz¹/² and the bandwidth > 150 kHz are suitable for nano-HEB detectors.