Megapixel arrays of superconducting UV single-photon detectors

The LUVOIR mission will benefit from detector pixels which are highly efficient in the UV and NIR, are solar-blind, and have high count rates with low dark count rates. By these metrics, superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are a promising detector technology, but at present no architecture exists which can read out thousands or millions of detectors -- to date, the largest demonstrated arrays have consisted of 64 pixels. We propose to advance the LUVOIR mission and the technological state of SNSPDs by implementing a multiplexing architecture capable of reading out megapixel-scale arrays of SNSPDs. In this architecture, each SNSPD pixel communicates photon detection events to a shared readout line by means of a highly localized thermal coupling. This thermally-coupled readout method not only efficiently multiplexes the pixels, but also minimizes electrical crosstalk, allowing each SNSPD pixel to operate independently. In order to bring a valuable UV detector technology closer to implementation in future missions, we propose to develop, fabricate, and demonstrate an array architecture which will enable SNSPDs to be multiplexed at the megapixel scale. Such a detector array based on superconducting nanowires would meet and exceed the requirements for future space telescopes such as LUVOIR.

The Astrophysics Research and Analysis program (APRA) supports suborbital and suborbital-class investigations, development of detectors and supporting technology, laboratory astrophysics, and limited ground based observing. Basic research proposals in these areas are solicited for investigations that are relevant to NASA's programs in astronomy and astrophysics, including the entire range of photons, gravitational waves, and particle astrophysics. The emphasis of this solicitation is on technologies and investigations that advance NASA astrophysics missions and goals.

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