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Completed TRL 3 (started at 2, targeting 3)
Future instrument to meet ambitious CMB and Far-IR science goals require large arrays of direct detectors. Microwave multiplexing is an upcoming and promising approach to reading these large arrays. Transition Edge Sensors (TES) coupled to resonator arrays, or arrays of Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) can be read out on a comb of RF frequencies. Our goal is to read a well-characterized KID and TES array using a new FPGA, the RFSoC. We will focus on several concerns that are unique to spaceflight: 1) heat load at 100 mK, 2) readout at very low noise (low photon backgrounds), 3) 1/f and stability, 4) cross-talk and readout power, 5) achieving high readout bandwidth with low power, and approaches that can be flight-qualified.
Previous TES readout approaches were multiplexed, but still required a large number of control lines for rows and columns of the array. The microwave SQUID approach couples the TES array to resonators. These resonators can be read out using two RF coax connections. This is analogous to MKID arrays. Having only two RF lines has the potential to greatly improve the reliability and simplicity of very large format arrays for space missions. RF readouts use a "software radio" approach -- rather than requiring unique hardware, the key elements of the readout are in firmware. The hardware itself (a high-bandwidth ADC to software radio) is common across many space applications.
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