NIST researchers have developed highly sensitive microwave detectors and multiplexing technology for the Simons Observatory in Chile, which will study the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation from the early universe. The detectors, called transition-edge-sensor bolometers, can measure temperature variations in the CMB over 40% of the sky.
To read signals from 67,080 detectors without overheating them, NIST engineers used superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) to convert current changes into frequency shifts. They fabricated 2,000 tiny resonators and SQUIDs on a single silicon wafer, reducing the number of room-temperature connections needed. The team demonstrated that only four of the 32 chips on each wafer needed to be tested to verify the entire wafer’s functionality.
The Simons Observatory, equipped with NIST’s advanced detectors and multiplexing technology, will provide new insights into the early universe’s structure and evolution.
Keywords: bolometers, microwave detectors, transition-edge-sensor , cosmic microwave background , SQUIDs
