Full-Array Noise Performance of Deployment-Grade SuperSpec mm-wave On-Chip Spectrometers [IMA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2002.04542


SuperSpec is an on-chip filter-bank spectrometer designed for wideband moderate-resolution spectroscopy at millimeter wavelengths, employing TiN kinetic inductance detectors. SuperSpec technology will enable large-format spectroscopic integral field units suitable for high-redshift line intensity mapping and multi-object spectrographs. In previous results we have demonstrated noise performance in individual detectors suitable for photon noise limited ground-based observations at excellent mm-wave sites. In these proceedings we present the noise performance of a full $R\sim 275$ spectrometer measured using deployment-ready RF hardware and software. We report typical noise equivalent powers through the full device of $\sim 3 \times 10^{-16} \ \mathrm{W}/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$ at expected sky loadings, which are photon noise dominated. Based on these results, we plan to deploy a six-spectrometer demonstration instrument to the Large Millimeter Telescope in early 2020.

Read this paper on arXiv…

K. Karkare, P. Barry, C. Bradford, et. al.
Wed, 12 Feb 20
5/58

Comments: 8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted by the Journal of Low Temperature Physics (Proceedings of the 18th International Workshop on Low Temperature Detectors)