A 25-micrometer Single-Photon-Sensitive Kinetic Inductance Detector
Peter K. Day (California Institute of Technology)
Nicholas F. Cothard (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
Christopher Albert (California Institute of Technology)
Logan Foote (California Institute of Technology)
Elijah Kane (California Institute of Technology)
Byeong H. Eom (California Institute of Technology)
Sven Van Berkel (California Institute of Technology)
Shahab Dabironezare (TU Delft - Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, SRON–Netherlands Institute for Space Research)
Jochem J.A. Baselmans (SRON–Netherlands Institute for Space Research, TU Delft - Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science)
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Abstract
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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