Development of low power FPGA-based readout electronics for superconducting detector arrays

We propose to design, build and demonstrate the performance of a low power FPGA-based readout electronics system for use with arrays of superconducting detectors such as transition edge sensors (TES) and kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs). Future space astrophysics missions such as PICO, the Galaxy Evolution Probe, the Cosmic Dawn Intensity Mapper and the Far-Infrared Explorer will require arrays of thousands of superconducting detectors. The complexity of the instrument can be reduced by implementing a multiplexing readout electronics system with high multiplex factor. Current superconducting arrays in operation on ground-based and balloon-borne instruments use either time-domain multiplexing (TDM) or frequency-domain multiplexing (FDM) at MHz frequencies with multiplex ratios of tens-hundreds. One way to increase the multiplex factor to 1000's of detectors is to increase the bandwidth of FDM by using GHz frequencies - this technique is called microwave multiplexing. Microwave multiplexing systems are being developed for ground-based applications and are planned for use in the next generation CMB experiments. A version of this electronics will be used to read out the KID arrays on the BLAST balloon-borne telescope. Typically existing systems have a power consumption of on order 100 mW per detector which also corresponds to 100 mW per MHz of bandwidth. However, a new family of FPGA-based chips called System On a Chip (SOC) that include all of the required inputs and output components (i.e. A/D and D/A converters) inside the device, have recently been released and offer much larger bandwidth at a lower power dissipation than existing systems. We propose to develop readout systems based on the algorithms implemented in existing readout systems with these new chips and demonstrate their performance reading out arrays of superconducting detectors. Estimates of the power dissipation required with the new system indicate that we could read out 10,000 detectors with < 30 W of power corresponding to < 3 mW per detector. We will perform thermal vacuum testing of these systems in environments relevant for balloon-borne applications. We will also investigate rad-hard firmware and ASIC implementation of the algorithms for future space-based missions.

The Strategic Astrophysics Technology program (SAT) supports focused development efforts for key technologies to the point at which they are ready to feed into major missions in the three science themes of the Astrophysics Division: Exoplanet Exploration, Cosmic Origins, and the Physics of the Cosmos. This program is specifically designed to address middle technology readiness level (TRL) "gaps" between levels 3 and 6: the maturation of technologies that have been established as feasible, but which are not yet sufficiently mature to incorporate into flight missions without introducing an unacceptable level of risk. NASA does not require a data management plan for proposals to SAT.

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