Low-loss deposited dielectrics are beneficial for the advancement of superconducting integrated circuits for astronomy. In the microwave band (approximately 1-10 GHz) the dielectric loss at cryogenic temperatures and low electric field strengths is dominated by two-level systems. However, the origin of the loss in the millimeter-submillimeter band (approximately 0.1-1 THz) is not understood. We measured the loss of hydrogenated-amorphous-SiC films in the 0.27-100-THz range using superconducting-microstrip resonators and Fourier-transform spectroscopy. The agreement between the loss data and a Maxwell-Helmholtz-Drude dispersion model suggests that vibrational modes above 10 THz dominate the loss in hydrogenated amorphous SiC above 200 GHz.

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GroundBIRD is a ground-based cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiment for observing the polarization pattern imprinted on large angular scales (ℓ > 6) from the Teide Observatory in Tenerife, Spain. Our primary scientific objective is a precise measurement of the optical depth τ (σ(τ) ∼ 0.01) to the reionization epoch of the Universe to cross-check systematic effects in the measurements made by previous experiments. GroundBIRD observes a wide sky area in the Northern Hemisphere (∼ 40% of the full sky) while continuously rotating the telescope at a high speed of up to 20 rotations per minute (rpm) to overcome the fluctuations of atmospheric radiation. We have adopted the NbTiN/Al hybrid microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) as focal plane detectors. We observe two frequency bands centered at 145 GHz and 220 GHz. The 145 GHz band picks up the peak frequency of the CMB spectrum. The 220 GHz band helps accurate removal of the contamination of thermal emission from the Galactic interstellar dust. The MKID arrays (138 MKIDs for 145GHz and 23 MKIDs for 220GHz) were designed and optimized so as to minimize the contamination of the two-level-system noise and maximize the sensitivity. The MKID arrays were successfully installed in May 2023 after the performance verification tests were performed at a laboratory. GroundBIRD has been upgraded to use the full MKID arrays, and scientific observations are now underway. The telescope is automated, so that all observations are performed remotely. Initial validations, including polarization response tests and observations of Jupiter and the moon, have been completed successfully. We are now running scientific observations.

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We report measurements characterizing the performance of a kinetic inductance detector array designed for a wavelength of 25 microns and very low optical background level suitable for applications such as a far-infrared instrument on a cryogenically cooled space telescope. In a pulse-counting mode of operation at low optical flux, the detectors can resolve individual 25-micron photons. In an integrating mode, the detectors remain photon noise limited over more than 6 orders of magnitude in absorbed power from 70 zW to 200 fW, with a limiting noise equivalent power of 4.6×10-20 W Hz-1 at 1 Hz. In addition, the detectors are highly stable with flat power spectra under optical load down to 1 mHz. Operational parameters of the detector are determined including the efficiency of conversion of the incident optical power into quasiparticles in the aluminum absorbing element and the quasiparticle self-recombination constant.

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Context. Integrated superconducting spectrometers (ISSs) for wide-band submillimeter (submm) astronomy use quasi-optical systems for coupling radiation from the telescope to the instrument. Misalignment in these systems is detrimental to the system performance. The common method of using an optical laser to align the quasi-optical components requires an accurate alignment of the laser to the submm beam from the instrument, which is not always guaranteed to a sufficient accuracy. Aims. We develop an alignment strategy for wide-band ISSs that directly uses the submm beam of the wide-band ISS. The strategy should be applicable in both telescope and laboratory environments. Moreover, the strategy should deliver similar quality of the alignment across the spectral range of the wide-band ISS. Methods. We measured the misalignment in a quasi-optical system operating at submm wavelengths using a novel phase and amplitude measurement scheme that is capable of simultaneously measuring the complex beam patterns of a direct-detecting ISS across a harmonic range of frequencies. The direct detection nature of the microwave kinetic inductance detectors in our device-under-test, DESHIMA 2.0, necessitates the use of this measurement scheme. Using geometrical optics, the measured misalignment, a mechanical hexapod, and an optimisation algorithm, we followed a numerical approach to optimise the positioning of corrective optics with respect to a given cost function. Laboratory measurements of the complex beam patterns were taken across a harmonic range between 205 and 391 GHz and were simulated through a model of the ASTE telescope in order to assess the performance of the optimisation at the ASTE telescope. Results. Laboratory measurements show that the optimised optical setup corrects for tilts and offsets of the submm beam. Moreover, we find that the simulated telescope aperture efficiency is increased across the frequency range of the ISS after the optimisation.

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Understanding telescope pointing (i.e. line of sight) is important for observing the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and astronomical objects. The Moon is a candidate astronomical source for pointing calibration. Although the visible size of the Moon (30^{`</sup>) is larger than that of the planets, we can frequently observe the Moon once a month with a high signal-to-noise ratio. We developed a method for performing pointing calibration using observational data from the Moon. We considered the tilts of the telescope axes as well as the encoder and collimation offsets for pointing calibration. In addition, we evaluated the effects of the nonuniformity of the brightness temperature of the Moon, which is a dominant systematic error. As a result, we successfully achieved a pointing accuracy of 3.3<sup>`}. This is one order of magnitude smaller than an angular resolution of 36^`. This level of accuracy competes with past achievements in other ground-based CMB experiments using observational data from the planets.

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Many superconducting on-chip filter-banks suffer from poor coupling to the detectors behind each filter. This is a problem intrinsic to the commonly used half-wavelength filter, which has a maximum theoretical coupling of 50 %. In this paper, we introduce a phase-coherent filter, called a directional filter, which has a theoretical coupling of 100 %. In order to study and compare different types of filter-banks, we first analyze the measured filter frequency scatter, losses, and spectral resolution of a DESHIMA 2.0 filter-bank chip. Based on measured fabrication tolerances and losses, we adapt the input parameters for our circuit simulations, quantitatively reproducing the measurements. We find that the frequency scatter is caused by nanometer-scale line width variations and that variances in the spectral resolution is caused by losses in the dielectric only. Finally, we include these realistic parameters in a full filter-bank model and simulate a wide range of spectral resolutions and oversampling values. For all cases, the directional filter-bank has significantly higher coupling to the detectors than the half-wave resonator filter-bank. The directional filter eliminates the need to use oversampling as a method to improve the total efficiency, instead capturing nearly all the power remaining after dielectric losses.

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Achieving amplification with high gain and quantum-limited noise is a difficult problem to solve. Parametric amplification using a superconducting transmission line with high kinetic inductance is a promising technology not only to solve this problem but also adding several benefits. Compared with other technologies, they have the potential to improve power saturation, achieve larger fractional bandwidths, and operate at higher frequencies. In this type of amplifier, the selection of the proper transmission line is a key element in its design. Given current fabrication limitations, traditional lines, such as coplanar waveguides (CPW), are not ideal for this purpose, since it is difficult to make them with the proper characteristic impedance for good matching and slow enough phase velocity for making them more compact. Capacitively loaded lines, also known as artificial lines, are a good solution to this problem. However, few design rules or models have been presented to guide their accurate design. This fact is even more crucial considering that they are usually fabricated in the form of Floquet lines that have to be designed carefully to suppress undesired harmonics appearing in the parametric process. In this article we present, first, a new modeling strategy, based on the use of electromagnetic-simulation software, and, second, a first-principles model that facilitate and speed the design of CPW artificial lines and of Floquet lines made out of them. Then, we present comparisons with experimental results that demonstrate their accuracy. Finally, the theoretical model allows one to predict the high-frequency behavior of the artificial lines, showing that they are good candidates for implementing parametric amplifiers above 100 GHz.@en

Parallel-plate capacitors (PPC) significantly reduce the size of superconducting microwave resonators, reducing the pixel pitch for arrays of single-photon energy-resolving kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). The frequency noise of KIDs is typically limited by tunneling two-level systems (TLS), which originate from lattice defects in the dielectric materials required for PPCs. How the frequency noise level depends on the PPC's dimensions has not been experimentally addressed. We measure the frequency noise of 56 resonators with a-SiC:H PPCs, which cover a factor of 44 in PPC area and a factor of 4 in dielectric thickness. To support the noise analysis, we measure the resonators' TLS-induced power-dependent intrinsic loss and temperature-dependent resonance frequency shift. From the TLS models, we expect a geometry-independent microwave loss and resonance frequency shift, which is set by the TLS properties of the dielectric. However, we observe a thickness-dependent microwave loss and resonance frequency shift; this is explained by surface layers that limit the performance of PPC-based resonators. For a uniform dielectric, the frequency noise level should scale directly inversely with the PPC area and thickness. We observe that an increase in PPC size reduces the frequency noise, but the exact scaling is, in some cases, weaker than expected. Finally, we derive engineering guidelines for the design of KIDs based on PPC-based resonators.

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In this article, the wrong figure appeared as Figures 1 and 2; the figure should have appeared as shown below Figure 1 (right side of the figure only): (Figure presented.) Figure 2: (Figure presented.)

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Large format focal plane arrays (FPAs) of dielectric lenses are promising candidates for wide field-of-view submillimeter imagers. In this work, we optimize the scanning gain of such imagers via shaping lens surfaces. We develop an optimization procedure using a field correlation technique between the fields generated by a reflector on the top of the lenses and those generated by the lens feeds. Based on this procedure, an FPA of quartz lens antennas combined with leaky-wave feeds is designed to efficiently illuminate the reflector, achieving a directivity of 50.5 dBi up to scanning 20.3°. The obtained scanning gain loss of 2.6 dB is much lower than that associated with the direct fields coming from the reflector (about 6 dB). The proposed FPA is validated by full-wave simulations with excellent agreement. We have fabricated and measured an example shaped quartz lens optimized for the scanning angle of 20.3° at 180 GHz. The comparison between the simulations and the measurements also shows excellent agreement.

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Terahertz Integral Field Unit with Universal Nanotechnology (TIFUUN) is a wideband spectral mapper operating at (sub)-millimeter wavelengths. The instrument is under development for ground-based astronomy and will be deployed to the ASTE telescope in Chile. In this work, the building blocks for TIFUUN’s wideband (2:1) mappers are discussed. These components are based on multi-lens focal plane arrays of leaky lens antennas coupled to filter banks based on Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors.@en

Future generation of astronomical imaging spectrometers are targeting the far infrared wavelengths to close the THz astronomy gap. Similar to lens antenna coupled Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs), lens absorber coupled MKIDs are a candidate for highly sensitive large format detector arrays. However, the latter is more robust to misalignment and assembly issues at THz frequencies due to its incoherent detection mechanism while requiring a less complex fabrication process. In this work, the performance of such detectors is investigated. The fabrication and sensitivity measurement of several lens absorber coupled MKID array prototypes operating at 7.8 and 12 THz central frequencies is ongoing.@en

Kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) are superconducting energy-resolving detectors, sensitive to single photons from the near-infrared to ultraviolet. We study a hybrid KID design consisting of a β-phase tantalum (β-Ta) inductor and a Nb-Ti-N interdigitated capacitor. The devices show an average intrinsic quality factor Qi of 4.3×105±1.3×105. To increase the power captured by the light-sensitive inductor, we 3D print an array of 150×150μm resin microlenses on the backside of the sapphire substrate. The shape deviation between design and printed lenses is smaller than 1μm, and the alignment accuracy of this process is δx=+5.8±0.5μm and δy=+8.3±3.3μm. We measure a resolving power for 1545-402 nm that is limited to 4.9 by saturation in the KID's phase response. We can model the saturation in the phase response with the evolution of the number of quasiparticles generated by a photon event. An alternative coordinate system that has a linear response raises the resolving power to 5.9 at 402 nm. We verify the measured resolving power with a two-line measurement using a laser source and a monochromator. We discuss several improvements that can be made to the devices on a route towards KID arrays with high resolving powers.

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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 efficiency, wave front error, or aperture efficiency cannot be easily measured by such approaches. Moreover, when instruments have a curved focal plane, designed to match the hosting telescope, even basic parameters are difficult to extract from scalar planar measurements. In such cases, the use of phase and amplitude information is mandatory. From a complex planar measurement, the complete information of the optical system can be obtained, allowing the estimation of all relevant optical parameters. In this work, we present and demonstrate experimentally a technique to perform such measurement based on the use of continuous wave photonic terahertz sources. Here, we present our results at 350 GHz and 850 GHz, demonstrating the feasibility of performing measurements at different submillimeter frequencies using a single experimental setup. The proposed system was implemented to fully characterize a wide-field submillimeter camera based on kinetic inductance detectors designed to be deployed at the APEX Telescope in Chile.

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This communication proposes a broadband and efficient integrated focal plane array solution based on a near-field focused connected array of slots. The focused aperture provides: 1) broadband and highly efficient illumination of the quasi-optical system and 2) scanning capabilities within a focusing system. The connected array antenna in turn allows for a fully integrated solution that can synthesize a focused aperture while providing broadband impedance matching. Focused connected array antennas enable the coupling to a reflector system over bandwidths in excess of one octave and with aperture efficiencies in excess of 60%. To demonstrate the concept, we present two printed circuit board (PCB) prototypes operating in the band 3-6 GHz and yielding more than 60% reflector aperture efficiency under broadside illumination and allowing to scan one beamwidth at the lowest frequency with a frequency-averaged scan loss of 0.2 dB. The feasibility of scaling this concept to THz frequencies and with dynamic beam-steering capabilities is discussed in the context of a superconducting device.

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Integrated superconducting spectrometer (ISS) technology will enable ultra-wideband, integral-field spectroscopy for (sub)millimeter-wave astronomy, in particular, for uncovering the dust-obscured cosmic star formation and galaxy evolution over cosmic time. Here, we present the development of DESHIMA 2.0, an ISS for ultra-wideband spectroscopy toward high-redshift galaxies. DESHIMA 2.0 is designed to observe the 220–440 GHz band in a single shot, corresponding to a redshift range of z = 3.3–7.6 for the ionized carbon emission ([C II] 158 μ m). The first-light experiment of DESHIMA 1.0, using the 332–377 GHz band, has shown an excellent agreement among the on-sky measurements, the laboratory measurements, and the design. As a successor to DESHIMA 1.0, we plan the commissioning and the scientific observation campaign of DESHIMA 2.0 on the ASTE 10-m telescope in 2023. Ongoing upgrades for the full octave-bandwidth system include the wideband 347-channel chip design and the wideband quasi-optical system. For efficient measurements, we also develop the observation strategy using the mechanical fast sky-position chopper and the sky-noise removal technique based on a novel data-scientific approach. In the paper, we show the recent status of the upgrades and the plans for the scientific observation campaign.

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We present a phase and amplitude beam pattern measurement technique using harmonic mixers. This allows a simultaneous multi-frequency phase sensitive characterization of a low resolution and wideband (220-420GHz) on-chip spectrometer using microwave kinetic inductance detectors. We investigate the beam quality, in particular the beam pointing and inferred telescope coupling and hence aperture efficiency. The measurements match the goal requirements for the DESHIMA-2 instrument for the ASTE telescope. The technique would be of interest for any (direct detector) spectrometer with a wide instantaneous bandwidth, particularly ones with dispersive components.

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We present a "mix-and-match"process to create large structures with submicrometer features by combining UV contact lithography and 100 kV electron-beam lithography in a single layer of negative-tone resist: Micro-Resist-Technology ma-N1405. The resist is successfully applied for the fabrication of an on-chip terahertz spectrometer, where the design requires 450 nm wide lines and 300 nm wide trenches in a 150 nm thick niobium-titanium-nitride layer, tolerating errors of ± 30 nm. We use a resist thickness of 500 nm, optimized to allow reliable SF 6/O 2-based reactive ion etching of structures with 30 nm accuracy. We find that resist requires an electron-beam cross-linking dose of 1100 μ C / c m 2 for an acceleration voltage of 100 kV in combination with a 180 s 100 °C bake on a hot plate and 45 s development. The smallest resist bars made with our dedicated recipe are 100 nm wide, with the smallest gaps about 300 nm. The difference between the designed and realized feature size is between 2 and 30 nm for structures up to 700 nm wide. The optical exposure dose is 300 m J / c m 2 for the same development time and is optimized to produce a positive sloped edge profile allowing good step coverage for subsequent layers. The resist can be applied, shipped, and processed in a time span of a couple of days without notable deterioration of patterning quality.

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Aims. Future actively cooled space-borne observatories for the far-infrared, loosely defined as a 1-10 THz band, can potentially reach a sensitivity limited only by background radiation from the Universe. This will result in an increase in observing speed of many orders of magnitude. A spectroscopic instrument on such an observatory requires large arrays of detectors with a sensitivity expressed as a noise equivalent power NEP = 3 × 10-20 W√ p Hz. Methods. We present the design, fabrication, and characterisation of microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) for this frequency range reaching the required sensitivity. The devices are based on thin-film NbTiN resonators which use lens-antenna coupling to a submicron-width aluminium transmission line at the shorted end of the resonator where the radiation is absorbed. We optimised the MKID geometry for a low NEP by using a small aluminium volume of ≈1 μm3 and fabricating the aluminium section on a very thin (100 nm) SiN membrane. Both methods of optimisation also reduce the effect of excess noise by increasing the responsivity of the device, which is further increased by reducing the parasitic geometrical inductance of the resonator. Results. We measure the sensitivity of eight MKIDs with respect to the power absorbed in the detector using a thermal calibration source filtered in a narrow band around 1.5 THz. We obtain a NEPexp(Pabs) = 3:1 ± 0:9 × 10-20 W√ p Hz at a modulation frequency of 200 Hz averaged over all measured MKIDs. The NEP is limited by quasiparticle trapping. Conclusions. The measured sensitivity is sufficient for spectroscopic observations from future, actively cooled space-based observatories. Moreover, the presented device design and assembly can be adapted for frequencies up to ≈10 THz and can be readily implemented in kilopixel arrays.

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