Speaker
Description
The energy resolution of a single photon counting Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (MKID) can be degraded by noise coming from the primary low temperature amplifier in the detector's readout system. Large multiplexed arrays of these detectors require high gain amplifiers which operate over a wide bandwidth and have a large dynamic range. Until recently, however, the best amplifiers satisfying these conditions have added 10 to 20 times more noise than quantum mechanics demands. Parametric amplifiers operate at or near this quantum limit although most types do not meet the bandwidth or dynamic range requirements. Recent developments in the design of superconducting traveling wave parametric amplifiers now make them suitable for a highly multiplexed MKID array. Here, we demonstrate a functional detector readout using these new amplifiers. The much lower noise floor improves the detector's energy resolution to the point where it is limited by the detector design, which, if improved, could lead to resolving powers of up to 30 at 900 nm.
| Student (Ph.D., M.Sc. or B.Sc.) | Y |
|---|---|
| Less than 5 years of experience since completion of Ph.D | Y |
