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Development of Fast, Background-Limited Transition-Edge Sensors for the Background-Limited Infrared/Sub-mm Spectrograph (BLISS) for SPICAWe report experimental progress toward demonstrating background-limited arrays of membrane-isolated transition-edge sensors (TESs) for the Background Limited Infrared/Sub-mm Spectrograph (BLISS). BLISS is a space-borne instrument with grating spectrometers for wavelengths lambda=35-435 micron and with R=lambda/delta lambda approximately equals 500. The goals for BLISS TESs are: noise equivalent power (NEP) = 5x10 (sup -20) W/Hz(exp 1/2) and response time tau <30ms. We expect background-limited performance from bilayers TESs with T(sub c) = 65mK and G=15fW/K. However, such TESs cannot be operated at 50mK unless stray power on the devices, or dark power P(sub D), is less than 200aW. We describe criteria for measuring P(sub D) that requires accurate knowledge of TC. Ultimately, we fabricated superconducting thermistors from Ir (T(sub c) >= 135mK) and Mo/Cu proximitized bilayers, where T(sub c) is the thermistor transition temperature. We measured the Ir TES arrays in our 50mK adiabatic demagnetization refrigerator test system, which can measure up to eight 1x32 arrays simultaneously using a time-division multiplexer, as well as our single-pixel test system which can measure down to 15mK. In our previous Ir array measurements our best reported performance was NEP=2.5x10(exp -19) W/Hz(sub 1/2) and Tau approximately equals 5ms for straight-beam TESs. In fact, we expected NEP approximately equals 1.5x10(exp -19)?W/Hz(sup 1/2) for meander beam TESs, but did not achieve this previously due to 1/f noise. Here, we detail improvements toward measuring the expected NEP and demonstrate NEP=(1.3+0.2)x10 (sup -19)W/Hz(exp 1/2) in our single-pixel test system and NEP=(1.6+/-0.3)x10(sup -19)W/Hz(sup 1/2) in our array test system.
Document ID
20130000035
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Beyer, Andrew D.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Runyan, M. C.
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kenyon, M.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Echternach, P. M .
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Chui, T.
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Bumble, B.
(California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Bradford, C. M.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Holmes, W. A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Bock, J. J.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 27, 2013
Publication Date
July 2, 2012
Subject Category
Instrumentation And Photography
Meeting Information
Meeting: SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation
Location: Amsterdam
Country: Netherlands
Start Date: July 1, 2012
End Date: July 4, 2012
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
infrared spectrometer
photon background-limited
sub-mm spectrometer
transition-edge sensors

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