FIRESS is the multi-purpose spectrometer proposed for the PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA). The sensitive spectrometer on the cold telescope provide factors of 1,000 to 100,000 improvement in spatial-spectral mapping speed relative to Herschel, accessing galaxies across the arc of cosmic history via their dust-immune far-infrared spectral diagnostics. FIRESS covers the 24 to 235 micron range with four slit-fed grating spectrometer modules providing resolving power between 85 and 130. The four slits overlap in pairs so that a complete spectrum of any object of interest is obtained in 2 pointings. For higher-resolving-power studies, a Fourier-transform module (FTM) is inserted into the light path in advance of the grating backends. The FTM serves all four bands and boosts the resolving power up to 4,400 at 112 microns, allowing extraction of the faint HD transition in protoplanetary disks. FIRESS uses four 2016-pixel arrays of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) which operate at the astrophysical photon background limit. KID sensitivities for FIRESS have been demonstrated, and environmental qualification of prototype arrays is underway.
Future observatories for the far-infrared (FIR), such as envisioned in the NASA Probe announcement, will offer unprecedented sensitivity by using cryogenically cooled optics. Large arrays of lens-absorber coupled Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) are the only candidate to fulfill the requirements for these observatories, requiring unprecedented sensitivity with a noise equivalent power below 10^(-19) W/√Hz while operating up to 12THz. The incoherent coupling mechanism of distributed absorbers leads to a robustness against misalignment, assembly, and fabrication issues at FIR wavelengths. In this contribution, we will present the design and fabrication of large arrays of lens-absorber coupled detectors and evaluate their performance at 7 and 12THz and demonstrate an NEP of 0.7⋅10^(-19) W/√Hz.
The Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) is a proposed space observatory which will use arrays of thousands of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) to perform low- and moderate-resolution spectroscopy throughout the far-infrared. The detectors must have noise equivalent powers (NEPs) at or below 1×10−19 W Hz−1/2 to be subdominant to noise from sky backgrounds and thermal noise from PRIMA’s cryogenically cooled primary mirror. Using a Radio Frequency System on a Chip for multitone readout, we measure the NEPs of detectors on a flight-like array designed to observe at a wavelength of 210 μm. We find that 92% of the KIDs measured have an NEP below 1 × 10−19 W Hz−1/2 at a noise frequency of 10 Hz.
The PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics (PRIMA) is a future cryogenic space observatory that will revolutionize study of evolving galaxies and forming planetary systems with highly-sensitive far-infrared (far-IR) imaging and spectroscopy. PRIMA’s spectrometer, the Far-InfraRed Enhanced Survey Spectrometer (FIRESS), will deploy kilo-pixel aluminum kinetic inductance detector (KID) arrays covering wavelengths from 24-235 μm. Here we present optical characterization of a prototype FIRESS array operating at 25 μm. We employ a blackbody modulation technique to measure the detector responsivity, and discuss methods for reducing 1/f noise from the multi-tone readout electronics. We measure an NEP below 3.5 × 10−20 W/ √ Hz at 10 Hz accross the array, which exceeds the requirement to be limited by the astrophysical background limit for PRIMA’s FIRESS spectrometer. We discuss limitations of the multi-tone readout and compare results to measurements with a single-tone readout system.
Quantum capacitance detectors (QCDs) are photon shot noise-limited terahertz detectors based on a single Cooper-pair box superconducting qubit. The QCD has demonstrated photon shot noise-limited performance for 1.5 THz radiation under loading conditions between 10 − 20 and 10 − 18 W and single-photon detection and counting at that frequency. We report here fabrication and preliminary characterization of a 441 pixel array of QCDs with readout frequencies between 700 and 850 MHz.
We are developing ultra-low noise transition edge sensor (TES) bolometer arrays for the long-wavelength grating spectrometer modules of SAFARI, part of the cryogenically-cooled SPICA mission now in phase-A study in Europe. These devices target a per-pixel noise equivalent power (NEP) below 10^-19 WHz^-1/2 with a time-constant faster than 10ms. The SAFARI focal planes will be cooled to 50 mK, and we use a 100 mK thermistor formed from an annealed Titanium-Gold bilayer film. To minimize excess heat capacity, we have developed a new wet-release process which provides high yield in large (~250-pixel) sub-arrays. We will report on the fabrication, testing, and achieved performance of these detectors.
We will also present the focal plane assembly designed to support the 5 (spatial) x 180 (spectral) format coupled to spectrometers thru multimodes horns. The focal plane is composed of four monolithic sub-arrays with integrated backshorts, all integrated onto a large silicon substrate.
High contrast imaging and characterization of faint exoplanets require a coronagraph instrument to efficiently suppress the host star light to 10-9 level contrast over a broad spectral bandwidth. The NASA WFIRST mission plan includes a coronagraph instrument to demonstrate the technology needed to image and characterize exoplanets. Lyot coronagraph masks designed to serve at the focal plane followed by a Lyot stop will be key elements in the WFIRST coronagraph and in future advanced missions such as LUVOIR (Bolcar (2019) and HabEx (Morgan 2019, Martin 2019)). Shaped pupil masks designed to work in reflective geometry are also employed in the WFIRST Coronagraph. High-contrast performance reaching much better than 10-9 contrast requires very tight design, fabrication tolerances, and material properties to meet a wide range of specifications, including precise shapes, micron-scale island features, ultra-low reflectivity regions, uniformity, wavefront quality, etc. In this paper, we present all the critical analytical and measured properties of materials and designs in relation to the results from our coronagraph testbeds.
KEYWORDS: Comets, Receivers, Signal to noise ratio, Telescopes, Sensors, Heterodyning, Cryogenics, Solar system, Temperature metrology, Superconductors
Remote submm-wave spectrometers have the capability of providing statistically significant numbers of isotopic composition measurements within the budget constraints of available planetary missions. This talk will present a mission and instrument concept that would enable an accurate measurement of the D/H ratio on not one but several dozens of comets in a four-year mission lifetime. The instrument would utilize advanced cryogenic detectors that would allow us to measure the abundance of the para and ortho spin states of water and its isotopologues. State of the art superconducting heterodyne receivers have been developed that provide detection sensitivities approaching the quantum limit in the 500 GHz frequency range enabling the measurement of D/H ratio on around 50 comets from an observatory stationed for example at the thermally benign Lagrange point L2
NASA WFIRST mission has planned to include a coronagraph instrument to find and characterize exoplanets. Masks are needed to suppress the host star light to better than 10-8 – 10-9 level contrast over a broad bandwidth to enable the coronagraph mission objectives. Such masks for high contrast coronagraphic imaging require various fabrication technologies to meet a wide range of specifications, including precise shapes, micron scale island features, ultra-low reflectivity regions, uniformity, wave front quality, etc. We present the technologies employed at JPL to produce these pupil plane and image plane coronagraph masks, and lab-scale external occulter masks, highlighting accomplishments from the high contrast imaging testbed (HCIT) at JPL and from the high contrast imaging lab (HCIL) at Princeton University. Inherent systematic and random errors in fabrication and their impact on coronagraph performance are discussed with model predictions and measurements.
NASA WFIRST-AFTA mission study includes a coronagraph instrument to find and characterize exoplanets. Various types of masks could be employed to suppress the host starlight to about 10−9 level contrast over a broad spectrum to enable the coronagraph mission objectives. Such masks for high-contrast internal coronagraphic imaging require various fabrication technologies to meet a wide range of specifications, including precise shapes, micron scale island features, ultralow reflectivity regions, uniformity, wave front quality, and achromaticity. We present the approaches employed at JPL to produce pupil plane and image plane coronagraph masks by combining electron beam, deep reactive ion etching, and black silicon technologies with illustrative examples of each, highlighting milestone accomplishments from the High Contrast Imaging Testbed at JPL and from the High Contrast Imaging Lab at Princeton University.
Optical devices with features exhibiting ultra low reflectivity on the order of 10-7 specular reflectance in the visible spectrum are required for coronagraph instruments and some spectrometers employed in space research. Nanofabrication technologies have been developed to produce such devices with various shapes and feature dimensions to meet these requirements. Infrared reflection is also suppressed significantly with chosen wafers and processes. Particularly, devices with very high (>0.9) and very low reflectivity (<10-7) on adjacent areas have been fabricated and characterized. Significantly increased surface area due to the long needle like nano structures also provides some unique applications in other technology areas. We present some of the approaches, challenges and achieved results in producing and characterizing such devices currently employed in laboratory testbeds and instruments.
Star light suppression technologies to find and characterize faint exoplanets include internal coronagraph instruments as well as external star shade occulters. Currently, the NASA WFIRST-AFTA mission study includes an internal coronagraph instrument to find and characterize exoplanets. Various types of masks could be employed to suppress the host star light to about 10-9 level contrast over a broad spectrum to enable the coronagraph mission objectives. Such masks for high contrast internal coronagraphic imaging require various fabrication technologies to meet a wide range of specifications, including precise shapes, micron scale island features, ultra-low reflectivity regions, uniformity, wave front quality, achromaticity, etc. We present the approaches employed at JPL to produce pupil plane and image plane coronagraph masks by combining electron beam, deep reactive ion etching, and black silicon technologies with illustrative examples of each, highlighting milestone accomplishments from the High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) at JPL and from the High Contrast Imaging Lab (HCIL) at Princeton University. We also present briefly the technologies applied to fabricate laboratory scale star shade masks.
We report experimental progress toward demonstrating background-limited arrays of membrane-isolated transition-edge sensors (TESs) for the Background Limited Infrared/Sub-mm Spectrograph (BLISS). BLISS is a space-borne instrument with grating spectrometers for wavelengths λ= 35-435 μm and with R= λ/Δλ~500. The goals for BLISS TESs are: noise equivalent power (NEP) = 5×10-20 W/Hz1/2 and response time τ<30ms. We expect background-limited performance from bilayers TESs with TC=65mK and G=15fW/K. However, such TESs cannot be operated at 50mK unless stray power on the devices, or dark power PD, is less than 200aW. We describe criteria for measuring PD that requires accurate knowledge of TC. Ultimately, we fabricated superconducting thermistors from Ir (TC≥135mK) and Mo/Cu proximitized bilayers, where TC is the thermistor transition temperature. We measured the Ir TES arrays in our 45mK base temperature adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator test system, which can measure up to eight 1x32 arrays simultaneously using a time-division multiplexer, as well as our single-pixel test system which can measure down to 15mK. In our previous Ir array measurements our best reported performance was NEP=2.5×10-19 W/Hz1/2 and τ~5ms for straight-beam TESs. In fact, we expected NEP 1.5×10-19W/Hz1/2 for meander beam TESs, but did not achieve this previously due to 1/f noise. Here, we detail improvements toward measuring the expected NEP and demonstrate NEP=(1.3±0.2)×10-19W/Hz1/2 in our single-pixel test system and NEP=(1.6±0.3)×10-19W/Hz1/2 in our array test system.
We are developing the Background-Limited Infrared-Submillimeter Spectrograph (BLISS) for SPICA to provide a breakthrough capability for far-IR survey spectroscopy. The 3.2-meter, actively-cooled (T<6K) SPICA telescope allows mid-IR to submm observations which are limited only by the natural backgrounds, and BLISS is designed
to operate near this fundamental limit. BLISS-SPICA provide a line sensitivity of 10-20 W m-2 , thereby enabling
spectroscopy of dust-obscured galaxies at all epochs back to the first billion years after the Big Bang (redshift
6), and study of all stages of planet formation in circumstellar disks.
BLISS covers the 35-430 micron waveband at moderate resolving power (300<R<700) in six grating spec trometer bands, each coupling at least two 2 sky positions simultaneously. The instrument is cooled with an on-board refrigerator to 50 mK for optimal sensitivity. The detector package in the goal implementation is 4200 silicon-nitride micro-mesh leg-isolated bolometers with superconducting transition-edge-sensed (TES) thermis tors, read out with a cryogenic time-domain multiplexer. The instrument is designed to fit within the stringent SPICA resource allocations for mass and heat lift, and to mitigate the impact of cosmic rays. We report on this design and our progress in prototyping and validating the BLISS spectrometers and prototype cooler. A companion paper in Conference 8452 (A. Beyer et al.) discusses in greater detail the progress in the BLISS TES bolometer development.
We are developing the Background-Limited Infrared-Submillimeter Spectrograph (BLISS) for SPICA to provide
a breakthrough capability for far-IR survey spectroscopy. SPICAs large cold aperture allows mid-IR to submm
observations which are limited only by the natural backgrounds, and BLISS is designed to operate near this
fundamental limit. BLISS-SPICA is 6 orders of magnitude faster than the spectrometers on Herschel and
SOFIA in obtaining full-band spectra. It enables spectroscopy of dust-obscured galaxies at all epochs back to
the rst billion years after the Big Bang (redshift 6), and study of all stages of planet formation in circumstellar
disks.
BLISS covers 35 - 433 microns range in ve or six wavelength bands, and couples two 2 sky positions simultaneously.
The instrument is cooled to 50 mK for optimal sensitivity with an on-board refrigerators. The detector
package is 4224 silicon-nitride micro-mesh leg-isolated bolometers with superconducting transition-edge-sensed
(TES) thermistors, read out with a cryogenic time-domain multiplexer. All technical elements of BLISS have
heritage in mature scientic instruments, and many have own. We report on our design study in which we are
optimizing performance while accommodating SPICAs constraints, including the stringent cryogenic mass budget.
In particular, we present our progress in the optical design and waveguide spectrometer prototyping. A
companion paper in Conference 7741 (Beyer et al.) discusses in greater detail the progress in the BLISS TES
bolometer development.
The NIRCam instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope will have a Lyot coronagraph for high contrast imaging of
extrasolar planets and circumstellar disks at λ=2 - 5 μm. Half-tone patterns are used to create graded-transmission image
plane masks. These are generated using electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching of a metal layer on an antireflection
coated sapphire substrate. We report here on the manufacture and evaluation of the flight occulters.
The Princeton occulter testbed uses long-distance propagation with a diverging beam and an optimized
occulter mask to simulate the performance of external occulters for finding extrasolar planets. We present
new results from the testbed in both monochromatic and broadband light. In addition, we examine sensing
and control of occulter position using out-of-band spectral leak around the occulter and occulter position
tolerancing. These results are validated by numerical simulations of propagation through the system.
We report on the characterization of SixNy (Si-N) optical absorbers and support beams for transition-edge sensors
(TESs). The absorbers and support beams measured are suitable to meet ultra-sensitive noise equivalent power
(NEP≤10-19W/√Hz) and effective response time (τ) requirements (τ≤100ms) for space-borne far-infrared(
IR)/submillimeter(sub-mm) spectrometers, such as the Background Limited far-Infrared/Sub-mm Spectrograph
(BLISS) and the SpicA FAR-infrared Instrument (SAFARI) for the SPace Infrared telescope for Cosmology and
Astrophysics (SPICA). The thermal response time (τ0) of an absorber suspended by support beams from a lowtemperature
substrate depends on the heat capacity (C) of the absorber and the thermal conductance (G) of the support
beams (τ0=C/G). In membrane-isolated TESs for BLISS, the effective response time τ is expected to be a factor of 20
smaller than τ0 because of voltage-biased electrothermal feedback operation and assumption of a reasonable open-loop
gain, LI≈20. We present design specifications for the arrays of membrane-isolated ultra-sensitive TESs for BLISS.
Additionally, we measured G and τ0 for two Si-N noise thermometry device (NTD) architectures made using different
fabrication processes: (1) a solid membrane Si-N absorber suspended by thin and long Si-N support beams and (2) a
wire-mesh Si-N absorber suspended by long, and even thinner, Si-N support beams. The measurements of G and τ0
were designed to test suitability of the Si-N thermal performance to meet the demands of the two SPICA instruments.
The solid membrane NTD architecture is similar to the TES architecture for SAFARI and the mesh membrane NTD is
similar to that of BLISS TESs. We report measured values of G and C for several BLISS and SAFARI NTD devices.
We observe that the heat capacity of the solid membrane devices can be reduced to the order of 1fJ/K at 65mK for
devices that are wet etched by KOH. However, C for these devices is found to be on the order of 100fJ/K for a dry XeF2
process. The heat capacity is similarly large for the mesh devices produced with a dry XeF2 etch.
An occulter is used in conjunction with a separate telescope to suppress the light of a distant star. To
demonstrate the performance of this system, we are building an occulter experiment in the laboratory at
Princeton. This experiment will use an etched silicon mask as the occulter, with some modifications to try
to improve the performance. The occulter is illuminated by a diverging laser beam to reduce the aberrations
from the optics before the occulter. We present the progress of this experiment and expectations for future
work.
The NIRCam instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope will provide coronagraphic imaging from λ =1-5 μm of
high contrast sources such as extrasolar planets and circumstellar disks. A Lyot coronagraph with a variety of circular
and wedge-shaped occulting masks and matching Lyot pupil stops will be implemented. The occulters approximate
grayscale transmission profiles using halftone binary patterns comprising wavelength-sized metal dots on anti-reflection
coated sapphire substrates. The mask patterns are being created in the Micro Devices Laboratory at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory using electron beam lithography. Samples of these occulters have been successfully evaluated in a
coronagraphic testbed. In a separate process, the complex apertures that form the Lyot stops will be deposited onto
optical wedges. The NIRCam coronagraph flight components are expected to be completed this year.
The Shaped Pupil Coronagraph (SPC) is a high-contrast imaging system pioneered at Princeton for detection of extra-solar earthlike planets. It is designed to achieve 10-10 contrast at an inner working angle of 4λ/D in broadband light. A critical requirement in attaining this contrast level in practice is the ability to control wavefront phase and amplitude aberrations to at least λ/104 in rms phase and 1/1000 rms amplitude, respectively. Furthermore, this has to be maintained over a large spectral band. The High Contrast Imaging Testbed (HCIT) at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) is a state-of-the-art facility for studying such high contrast imaging systems and wavefront control methods. It consists of a vacuum chamber containing a configurable coronagraph setup with a Xinetics deformable mirror. Previously, we demonstrated 4x10-8 contrast with the SPC at HCIT in 10% broadband light. The limiting factors were subsequently identified as (1) manufacturing defects due to minimal feature size constraints on our shaped pupil masks and (2) the inefficiency of the wavefront correction algorithm we used (classical speckle nulling) to correct for these defects. In this paper, we demonstrate the solutions to both of these problems. In particular, we present a method to design masks with practical minimal feature sizes and show new manufactured masks with few defects. These masks were installed at HCIT and tested using more sophisticated wavefront control algorithms based on energy minimization of light in the dark zone. We present the results of these experiments, notably a record 2.4×10-9 contrast in 10% broadband light.
Direct imaging and characterization of exo-solar terrestrial planets require coronagraphic instruments capable
of suppressing star light to 10-10. Pupil shaping masks have been proposed and designed1 at Princeton
University to accomplish such a goal. Based on Princeton designs, free standing (without a substrate) silicon
masks have been fabricated with lithographic and deep etching techniques. In this paper, we discuss the
fabrication of such masks and present their physical and optical characteristics in relevance to their
performance over the visible to near IR bandwidth.
Direct-write electron-beam lithography has proven to be a powerful technique for fabricating a variety of micro and nano-optical devices. Binary E-beam lithography is the workhorse technique for fabricating optical devices that require complicated precision nano-scale features. We describe a bi-layer resist system and virtual-mark height measurement for improving the reliability of fabricating binary patterns. Analog E-beam lithography is a newer technique that has found significant application in the fabrication of diffractive optical elements. We describe our techniques for fabricating analog surface-relief profiles in E-beam resist, including a technique for overcoming the problem of resist heating. We also describe a multiple field size exposure scheme for suppression of diffraction orders produced field-stitch errors in blazed diffraction gratings on non-flat substrates.
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