Second-Generation Design of Micro-Spec: A Medium-Resolution, Submillimeter-Wavelength Spectrometer-on-a-Chip

Micro-Spec (μ-Spec) is a direct-detection spectrometer which integrates all the components of a diffraction-grating spectrometer onto a ∼10-cm2 chip through the use of superconducting microstrip transmission lines on a single-crystal silicon substrate. A second-generation μ-Spec is being designed to operate with a spectral resolution of 512 in the submillimeter (500-1000 μm, 300-600 GHz) wavelength range, a band of interest for several spectroscopic applications in astrophysics. High altitude balloon missions would provide the first test bed to demonstrate the μ-Spec technology in a space-like environment and would be an economically viable venue for multiple observation campaigns. This work reports on the current status of the instrument design and will provide a brief overview of each instrument subsystem. Particular emphasis will be given to the design of the spectrometer's two-dimensional diffractive region, through which the light of different wavelengths is focused on the detectors along the focal plane. An optimization process is employed to generate geometrical configurations of the diffractive region that satisfy specific requirements on spectrometer size, operating spectral range, and performance. An optical design optimized for balloon missions will be presented in terms of geometric layout, spectral purity, and efficiency.