Broadband Direct Detection Submillimeter Spectrometer with Multiplexed Superconducting Transition Edge Thermometer Bolometers

Published

March 1, 2002

Author(s)

D. J. Benford, Troy A. Ames, Jay A. Chervenak, S. H. Mosely, Rick A. Shafer, Johannes G. Staguhn, George M. Voellmer, Francois Pajot, Cyrille Rioux, Thomas G. Phillips, Bruno Maffei, Kent D. Irwin

Abstract

We present performance results based on the first astronomical use of multiplexed superconducting bolometers. The Fabry-Perot Interferometer Bolometer Research Experiment (FIBRE) is a broadband submillimeter spectrometer that achieved first light in June 2001 at the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO). FIBRE's detectors are superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers read out by a SQUID multiplexer. The Fabry-Perot uses a low resolution grating to order sort the incoming light. A linear bolometer array consisting of 16 elements detect this dispersed light, capturing 5 orders simultaneously from one position on the sky. With tuning of the Fabry-Perot over one free spectral range, a spectrum covering Δ}λ/λ = 1/7 at a resolution of δλ/λ 1/1200 can be acquired. This spectral resolution is sufficient to resolve Doppler-broadened line emission from external galaxies. FIBRE operates in the 350 υm and 450 υm bands. These bands cover line emission from the important star formation tracers neutral carbon [CΙ] and carbon monoxide (CO). We have verifed that the multiplexed bolometers are photon noise limited even with the low power present in moderate resolution spectrometry.

Proceedings Title

Proc., Intl Symp. on Space Terahertz Tech.

Conference Dates

March 26-28, 2002

Conference Location

Cambridge, MA, USA

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

bolometer, broadband, spectrometry

Citation

Benford, D. , Ames, T. , Chervenak, J. , Mosely, S. , Shafer, R. , Staguhn, J. , Voellmer, G. , Pajot, F. , Rioux, C. , Phillips, T. , Maffei, B. and Irwin, K. (2002), Broadband Direct Detection Submillimeter Spectrometer with Multiplexed Superconducting Transition Edge Thermometer Bolometers, Proc., Intl Symp. on Space Terahertz Tech., Cambridge, MA, USA (Accessed October 2, 2025)