Characterization of Widefield THz Optics Using Phase Shifting Interferometry

Characterization of wide-field optics in the Terahertz regime imposes new and demanding requirements for testing systems. Basic optical parameters can be determined from scalar planar characterization, obtained using monochromatic or thermal sources located in the instrument focal plane. In contrast, important features, such as the spillover...

TiEMPO: Open-source time-dependent end-To-end model for simulating ground-based submillimeter astronomical observations

The next technological breakthrough in millimeter–submillimeter astronomy is three-dimensional imaging spectrometry with wide instantaneous spectral bandwidths and wide fields of view. The total optimization of the focal-plane instrument, the telescope, the observing strategy, and the signal-processing software must enable efficient removal...

Characterization of low-loss hydrogenated amorphous silicon films for superconducting resonators

Superconducting circuit elements used in millimeter-submillimeter (mm-submm) astronomy would greatly benefit from deposited dielectrics with small dielectric loss and noise. This will enable the use of multilayer circuit elements and thereby increase the efficiency of mm-submm filters and allow for a miniaturization of microwave kinetic...

Photon-detecting superconducting resonators

One of the greatest challenges in astronomy is observing star and planetary formation, redshifted distant galaxies and molecular spectral ‘fingerprints’ in the far-infrared spectrum of light, using highly sensitive and large cameras. In this thesis we investigate superconducting resonators for photon detection. In superconductors the electrons...