Equivalence of optical and electrical noise equivalent power of hybrid NbTiN-Al microwave kinetic inductance detectors

Janssen, R. M. J.; Endo, Akira; Visser, Pieter de; Klapwijk, T. M.; Baselmans, J. J. A.

doi:10.1063/1.4901733

Cited by 17 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Importantly Janssen et al (2014) have shown that the dark NEP is a good approximation for the NEP measured using a calibration source for the hybrid NbTiNAl MKID design. We give, in Fig.…”

Section: Dark Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…keeping the radiator in dark conditions, i.e. T BB = 2.7 K. Under these conditions the amount of quasiparticles in the aluminium N qp can be calculate from the chip temperature, the volume of the aluminium section of the resonator and the energy gap (Janssen et al 2014). Rewriting N qp in terms of FIR power allows the dark NEP to be calculated using Eq.…”

Section: Dark Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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A kilo-pixel imaging system for future space based far-infrared observatories using microwave kinetic inductance detectors

Baselmans

Bueno

Yates

et al. 2017

A&A

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107

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Aims. Future astrophysics and cosmic microwave background space missions operating in the far-infrared to millimetre part of the spectrum will require very large arrays of ultra-sensitive detectors in combination with high multiplexing factors and efficient lownoise and low-power readout systems. We have developed a demonstrator system suitable for such applications. Methods. The system combines a 961 pixel imaging array based upon Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) with a readout system capable of reading out all pixels simultaneously with only one readout cable pair and a single cryogenic amplifier. We evaluate, in a representative environment, the system performance in terms of sensitivity, dynamic range, optical efficiency, cosmic ray rejection, pixel-pixel crosstalk and overall yield at an observation centre frequency of 850 GHz and 20% fractional bandwidth. Results. The overall system has an excellent sensitivity, with an average detector sensitivity NEP det = 3 × 10 −19 W/ √ Hz measured using a thermal calibration source. At a loading power per pixel of 50 fW we demonstrate white, photon noise limited detector noise down to 300 mHz. The dynamic range would allow the detection of ∼1 Jy bright sources within the field of view without tuning the readout of the detectors. The expected dead time due to cosmic ray interactions, when operated in an L2 or a similar far-Earth orbit, is found to be <4%. Additionally, the achieved pixel yield is 83% and the crosstalk between the pixels is <−30 dB. Conclusions. This demonstrates that MKID technology can provide multiplexing ratios on the order of a 1000 with state-of-the-art single pixel performance, and that the technology is now mature enough to be considered for future space based observatories and experiments.

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“…Importantly Janssen et al (2014) have shown that the dark NEP is a good approximation for the NEP measured using a calibration source for the hybrid NbTiNAl MKID design. We give, in Fig.…”

Section: Dark Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Dark Sensitivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

A kilo-pixel imaging system for future space based far-infrared observatories using microwave kinetic inductance detectors

Baselmans

Bueno

Yates

et al. 2017

A&A

Self Cite

107

124

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“…MKIDs are photon noise limited for various frequencies [10][11][12][13][14][15] . The level of experimental detail that has now been achieved 13,16,17 calls for a more detailed understanding of the absorption of radiation. An important gap in this understanding is a measurement of η pb .…”

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confidence: 99%

The non-equilibrium response of a superconductor to pair-breaking radiation measured over a broad frequency band

Visser

Yates

Guruswamy

et al. 2015

Applied Physics Letters

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We have measured the absorption of terahertz radiation in a BCS superconductor over a broad range of frequencies from 200 GHz to 1.1 THz, using a broadband antenna-lens system and a tantalum microwave resonator. From low frequencies, the response of the resonator rises rapidly to a maximum at the gap edge of the superconductor. From there on the response drops to half the maximum response at twice the pairbreaking energy. At higher frequencies, the response rises again due to trapping of pair-breaking phonons in the superconductor. In practice this is the first measurement of the frequency dependence of the quasiparticle creation efficiency due to pair-breaking in a superconductor. The efficiency, calculated from the different nonequilibrium quasiparticle distribution functions at each frequency, is in agreement with the measurements.In a superconductor at low temperature, most of the electrons are bound in Cooper pairs. These pairs can be broken into quasiparticles by absorbing photons with an energy larger than the binding energy. This mechanism is frequently used to detect submillimetre and terahertz radiation using conventional superconductors such as aluminium. Pair-breaking detectors are usually assumed to measure the number of quasiparticles created by the absorbed radiation. The observable that measures the number of quasiparticles varies from the complex conductivity for microwave kinetic inductance detectors 1 (MKIDs), the current through a tunnel junction 2 to the capacitance of a small superconducting island 3 . These observables are mainly sensitive to quasiparticles with an energy close to the gap energy of the superconductor, ∆. The working principle of these detectors is usually explained in terms of an effective number of quasiparticles which is maintained by a balance between the radiation power and electron-phonon interaction (recombination) 4 . To convert the power (P ) into a number of quasiparticles (N qp ), the quasiparticle creation efficiency η pb is introduced, which compares the actual N qp with the maximum possible N qp when all created quasiparticles would have an energy ∆. Since Cooper pairs have a binding a) Electronic mail: p.j.devisser@tudelft.nl; Current address: Department of Quantum Matter Physics, University of Geneva, Geneva 1211, Switzerland energy of 2∆, a photon with an energy in between 2∆ and 4∆ can still only create two quasiparticles. The rest of the energy is lost through electron-phonon scattering, hence η pb < 1. For higher energies η pb depends on the phonon trapping factor, which determines whether high energy phonons are directly lost or can break an additional pair. η pb is therefore not an efficiency in the sense that photons are lost, but it reduces the detector responsivity. MKIDs are superconducting microwave resonators which sense the number of quasiparticles through the complex conductivity of the superconductor. The phase response (θ) of such a resonator can be approximated bywhere σ 2 is the imaginary part of the complex conductivity. For the last propo...

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“…To estimate performance of the prototype device from a detector perspective, we measure the electrical noise equivalent power (NEP). It has recently been shown that an estimate of electrical NEP provides an accurate indication of the optical performance for devices where the contribution to the responsivity is constant across the absorbing volume [11]. For a leKID, this is automatically satisfied as the current density across the inductor is constant.…”

Section: Preliminary Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and Performance of the Antenna-Coupled Lumped-Element Kinetic Inductance Detector

et al. 2018

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Focal plane arrays consisting of low-noise, polarisation-sensitive detectors have made possible the pioneering advances in the study of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). To make further progress, the next generation of CMB experiments (e.g. CMB-S4) will require a substantial increase in the number of detectors compared to the current stage 3, instruments. Arrays of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) provide a possible path to realising such large format arrays owing to their intrinsic multiplexing advantage and relative cryogenic simplicity. In this proceedings, we report on the design of a novel variant of the traditional KID design; the antenna-coupled lumped-element KID. A polarisationsensitive twin-slot antenna placed behind an optimised hemispherical lens couples power onto a thin-film superconducting microstrip line. The power is then guided into the inductive section of an aluminium KID where it is absorbed and modifies both the resonant frequency and quality factor of the KID. We present the various aspects of the design and preliminary results from the first set of seven-element prototype arrays and compare to the expected modelled performance.

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Equivalence of optical and electrical noise equivalent power of hybrid NbTiN-Al microwave kinetic inductance detectors

Cited by 17 publications

References 23 publications

A kilo-pixel imaging system for future space based far-infrared observatories using microwave kinetic inductance detectors

A kilo-pixel imaging system for future space based far-infrared observatories using microwave kinetic inductance detectors

The non-equilibrium response of a superconductor to pair-breaking radiation measured over a broad frequency band

Design and Performance of the Antenna-Coupled Lumped-Element Kinetic Inductance Detector

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