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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 199 records · Page 11
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

Radiometric and Radiation Response of Visible FPAs

The readout integrated circuit (ROIC) used in these devices was originally developed for use in space based infrared systems operating at deep cryogenic temperatures and was selected because of its proven tolerance to total ionizing radiation? The detectors are a 128 x 128 array of 60 pm x 60 pm pixel elements that have been anti-reflection (AR) coated to improve the response at very short wavelengths. These visible focal plane arrays were operated at -40 C (233 K). Two focal planes were characterized using cobalt-60 radiation to produce ionizing total dose damage in the VFPAs. Both operational and performance data were obtained as functions of total dose. The first device tested showed no appreciable change in responsivity or noise up to 300 krad(Si). However, at the next dose level of 600 krad(Si), the readout was non-operational due to failure in the digital circuitry. The second device was characterized to a total dose of 750 krad(Si) with no observed change in responsivity. An increase dark current was observed in both devices, and in the second device, the dark current caused an increase in noise at low irradiance at 400 krad(Si) and above. The increase in dark current was somewhat un-expected for visible PIN detectors. The median dark current increased more than two orders of magnitude at 300 krad(Si) for the first device and a factor of 350 at 750 krad(Si) for pixels near the edge for the second device. The dark current was found to be a strong function of detector bias, with pixels near the edge of the array showing a greater increase in dark current with bias than those near the center. Since the optical response was not a function of bias, it is hypothesized that the dark current is a surface effect and that the variation in dark current with location is due to a variation in pixel bias, caused by a voltage drop across the pixel common lead. As the total dose increased, the dark current and the voltage drop increased

Hubbs, John↗
NASA NTRS1984

Conceptual design of a hybrid Ge:Ga detector array

For potential applications in space infrared astronomy missions such as the Space Infrared Telescope Facility and the Large Deployable Reflector, integrated arrays of long-wavelength detectors are desired. The results of a feasibility study which developed a design for applying integrated array techniques to a long-wavelength (gallium-doped germanium) material to achieve spectral coverage between 30 and 200 microns are presented. An approach which builds up a two-dimensional array by stacking linear detector modules is presented. The spectral response of the Ge:Ga detectors is extended to 200 microns by application of uniaxial stress to the stack of modules. The detectors are assembled with 1 mm spacing between the elements. Multiplexed readout of each module is accomplished with integration sampling of a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) switch chip. Aspects of the overall design, including the anticipated level of particle effects on the array in the space environment, a transparent electrode design for 200 microns response, estimates of optical crosstalk, and mechanical stress design calculations are included.

Parry, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Distributed Antenna-Coupled TES for FIR Detectors Arrays

We describe a new architecture for a superconducting detector for the submillimeter and far-infrared. This detector uses a distributed hot-electron transition edge sensor (TES) to collect the power from a focal-plane-filling slot antenna array. The sensors lay directly across the slots of the antenna and match the antenna impedance of about 30 ohms. Each pixel contains many sensors that are wired in parallel as a single distributed TES, which results in a low impedance that readily matches to a multiplexed SQUID readout These detectors are inherently polarization sensitive, with very low cross-polarization response, but can also be configured to sum both polarizations. The dual-polarization design can have a bandwidth of 50The use of electron-phonon decoupling eliminates the need for micro-machining, making the focal plane much easier to fabricate than with absorber-coupled, mechanically isolated pixels. We discuss applications of these detectors and a hybridization scheme compatible with arrays of tens of thousands of pixels.

antenna↗
DOE OSTI2024

A 32-Channel Cryo-CMOS ASIC for SNSPD Biasing and Readout with Picosecond

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD) are a promising technology for particle detection. Although SNSPDs have demonstrated picosecond timing accuracy, scaling up large arrays has proved challenging. In this work, we introduce a 32-channel cryo-CMOS application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) that can be tightly integrated with SNSPD arrays. The ASIC is designed to operate at a temperature of 4K and can perform up to 32 simultaneous timing measurements with a root-mean-square (RMS) accuracy of 8.0ps. The ASIC includes on-chip circuitry for externally biasing superconducting devices, low-noise amplifiers for reading superconducting devices, high-resolution time-to-digital converters (TDC) for time-tagging events, and serializers for transmitting data to room-temperature electronics. The ASIC is manufactured in a 22nm FDSOI process and occupies an area of 4.0mm x 1.0mm. The performance of the ASIC was verified using custom cryogenic device models internally developed for the 22nm SOI process. Measurement results will be presented at the conference.

Fredenburg, Jeff↗
NASA NTRS2009

The SOFIA/SAFIRE Far-Infrared Spectrometer: Highlighting Submillimeter Astrophysics and Technology

The Submillimeter and Far-InfraRed Experiment (SAFIRE) on the SOFIA airborne observatory is an imaging spectrometer for wavelengths between 28 microns and 440 microns. Our design is a dual-band long-slit grating spectrometer, which provides broadband (approx. 4000 km/s) observations in two lines simultaneously over a field of view roughly 10" wide by 320" long. The low backgrounds in spectroscopy require very sensitive detectors with noise equivalent powers of order 10(exp -18) W/square root of Hz. We are developing a kilopixel, filled detector array for SAFIRE in a 32 x 40 format. The detector consists of a transition edge sensor (TES) bolometer array, a per-pixel broadband absorbing backshort array, and a NIST SQUID multiplexer readout array. This general type of array has been used successfully in the GISMO instrument, so we extrapolate to the sensitivity needed for airborne spectroscopy. Much of the cryogenic, electronics, and software infrastructure for SAFIRE have been developed. I provide here an overview of the progress on SAFIRE.

Benford, Dominic J.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Hyperspectral X-ray Imaging: Progress Towards Chemical Analysis in the SEM

The Hyperspectral X-ray Imaging (HXI) project will enable non-destructive chemical-state determination of nano-scale samples in the electron microscope for nuclear safeguards applications. To efficiently measure chemical state through electron-excited X-ray emission requires a combination of wide spectral bandwidth, high resolution, and high count rate capability. We are building a next-generation X-ray detector based on an array of transition edge sensors (TESs) to make these measurements possible and routine in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Leveraging the large pixel densities afforded by microwave multiplexing readout and continuous, uninterrupted operation of a cryogen-free dilution refrigerator, this instrument will have efficiency to allow chemical species identification of nano-scale samples in hours instead of days to weeks. We describe prototype pixel designs for this HXI instrument, comprising three pixel types that will make up the hybrid TES array. Engineering design of the integrated HXI cryostat and SEM system is in progress, with full detector commissioning expected in Spring 2021 followed closely by full-scale integration with the SEM. Furthermore, we also report on the commissioning of a complementary TES-based X-ray emission spectroscopy platform for bulk samples to build a spectral library for HXI sample identification.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Development of a large array of Silicon Drift Detectors for high-rate synchrotron fluorescence spectroscopy

An array of small-area Silicon Drift Detectors (SDD), named Hera, has been developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in the past few years. Its primary application is high-rate spectroscopy at synchrotrons. Each SDD pixel is a 1 mm × 1 mm square to match the footprint of the original diode-based pixel detector called Maia, which was developed for the same application. The replacement of the diode with an SDD allows for better energy resolution at short shaping times and an increased stability of the detector. 32, 96, and 384-channel arrays were designed and fabricated and achieved a Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) as low as 176 eV at 5.9 keV with peaking time of 1 μs at -13°C. The sensor design, simulation, fabrication, its readout system, and its spectroscopic performance are reported.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Improved Charge Sensing on a SiMOS Double Quantum Dot using a Cryogenic Skipper Readout ASIC (Quandarum)

Major outstanding questions in high-energy physics such as the nature of dark matter and the existence of interactions beyond the standard model require new measurement techniques which are extremely sensitive to minute electromagnetic fields. An array of entangled spin qubits is a promising system for building novel detectors due to its combination of sensitivity and controllability. CMOS-based electron spin qubits, which have demonstrated the operational requirements for fault-tolerant quantum computing [1], offer a particular opportunity due to their compatibility with classical electronics, which allows the leveraging of decades of development of low-noise cryogenic detectors for physics. In this work, we combine a SiMOS double-quantum dot device architecture with a state-of-the-art cryoelectronic readout circuit [2-3] aimed to demonstrate improved charge readout using a single-electron transistor (SET). We identify the design characteristics for an SET that facilitate the use of on-chip classical electronics as a low-power, high-bandwidth first amplification stage and explore opportunities for sensor-readout co-design to minimize noise. This is the first of a series of steps to demonstrate high-fidelity readout of a large array of spin qubit with enough sensitivity to probe processes of interest for the investigation of beyond-standard-model physics.

Quinn, Adam [Fermilab]↗
DOE OSTI2024

A 32-Channel Cryo-CMOS ASIC for SNSPD Biasing and Readout with Picosecond Timing

Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD) are a promising technology for particle detection. Although SNSPDs have demonstrated picosecond timing accuracy, scaling up large arrays has proved challenging. In this work, we introduce a 32-channel cryo-CMOS application-specifc integrated circuit (ASIC) that can be tightly integrated with SNSPD arrays. The ASIC is designed to operate at a temperature of 4K and can perform up to 32 simultaneous timing measurements with a root-mean-square (RMS) accuracy of 8.0ps. The ASIC includes on-chip circuitry for externally biasing superconducting devices, low-noise amplifers for reading superconducting devices, high-resolution time-to-digital converters (TDC) for time-tagging events, and serializers for transmitting data to room-temperature electronics. The ASIC is manufactured in a 22nm FDSOI process and occupies an area of 4.0mm x 1.0mm. The performance of the ASIC was verifed using custom cryogenic device models internally developed for the 22nm SOI process. Measurement results will be presented at the conference.

Fredenburg, Jeff↗
NASA NTRS2003

Toward the Development of Group III-V Photodetectors and Imaging Arrays

A collaboration between researchers at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) (Code 718.1) and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) on the development of gallium nitride (GaN) based photodetectors has been in existence since July 1994. This collaboration, based on APL undertaking the material growth and GSFC undertaking the device processing, has led to discrete GaN photoconductive detectors with superior characteristics to those of similar devices reported in the literature and, more recently, to the development of state-of-the art 256x256 imaging arrays with the pixels indium bump-bonded to a silicon readout circuit (RIOC). The object of this proposal is to continue the collaboration for the period 1998-2002 by outlining a program of work at the APL on the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth of GaN and related materials for UV detector applications. In particular, emphasis will be placed on the optimization of growth on 2 in diameter substrates, on the growth of In(sub x)Ga(1-x)N and Al(sub x)Ga(1-x)N alloy structures to produce devices with a wider range of tailored cut-off wavelengths, and on the growth of pn-junction structures for photovoltaic devices.

Wickenden, Dennis K.↗
DOE OSTI2023

A novel integrated time-resolved array avalanche photodiode detection system for nuclear resonant scattering measurements

Here, the nuclear resonant scattering (NRS) experiment requires photon-counting detectors with high time resolution, short dead time, large dynamic range, low noise, and large detection area. An 8-channel avalanche photodiode (APD) array detector system with high integrity, flexibility, and reliability has been developed to adapt to the demands of NRS experiments. The detector system mainly consists of four key parts: (i) an array-APD sensor, (ii) 8-channel integrated fast preamplifiers, (iii) the time-to-digital converter readout electronics, and (iv) a data acquisition system and EPICS support software. Remarkably, the system exhibits a time resolution of better than 500 ps and has a sufficiently low noise level, allowing for the lowest detection energy threshold of 4 keV. The performance of the new array-APD system as well as its real application in nuclear forward scattering (NFS) and nuclear resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (NRIXS) experiments was tested in two synchrotron facilities. With the new system, the NFS signal very close to the prompt electronic scattering signal can be extracted. Thanks to the customized EPICS-areaDetector-based control software, NRIXS spectra can be readily measured with time and energy information of the NRIXS signal stored in the raw data, which is promising for developing NRIXS data analysis in the time domain. The array-APD detector can be deployed for nuclear resonant scattering experiments at various synchrotron radiation facilities.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS2003

Applications of Gas Imaging Micro-Well Detectors to an Advanced Compton Telescope

We present a concept for an Advanced Compton Telescope (ACT) based on the use of pixelized gas micro-well detectors to form a three-dimensional electron track imager. A micro-well detector consists of an array of individual micro-patterned proportional counters opposite a planar drift electrode. When combined with thin film transistor array readouts, large gas volumes may be imaged with very good spatial and energy resolution at reasonable cost. The third dimension is determined by timing the drift of the ionization electrons. The primary advantage of this approach is the excellent tracking of the Compton recoil electron that is possible in a gas volume. Such good electron tracking allows us to reduce the point spread function of a single incident photon dramatically, greatly improving the imaging capability and sensitivity. The polarization sensitivity, which relies on events with large Compton scattering angles, is particularly enhanced. We describe a possible ACT implementation of this technique, in which the gas tracking volume is surrounded by a CsI calorimeter, and present our plans to build and test a small prototype over the next three years.

Bloser, P. F.↗
NASA NTRS2005

MTRAP: The Magnetic Transition Region Probe

The Magnetic Transition Region Probe is a space telescope designed to measure the magnetic field at several heights and temperatures in the solar atmosphere, providing observations spanning the chromospheric region where the field is expected to become force free. The primary goal is to provide an early warning system (hours to days) for solar energetic particle events that pose a serious hazard to astronauts in deep space and to understand the source regions of these particles. The required magnetic field data consist of simultaneous circular and linear polarization measurements in several spectral lines over the wavelength range from 150 to 855 nm. Because the observations are photon limited an optical telescope with a large (>18sq m) collecting area is required. To keep the heat dissipation problem manageable we have chosen to implement MTRAP with six separate Gregorian telescopes, each with approx. 3 sq m collecting area, that are brought to a common focus. The large field of view (5 x 5 arcmin(sup 2)) and angular resolution (0.025 arcsec pixels) require large detector arrays and, because of the requirements on signal to noise (10(exp 3)), pixels with large full well depths to reduce the readout time and improve the temporal resolution. The optical and engineering considerations that have gone into the development of a concept that meets MTRAP's requirements are described.

Davis, J. M.↗
DOE OSTI2026

The sweeper spectrometer for neutron invariant-mass spectroscopy at FRIB

Neutron invariant-mass spectroscopy (NIMS) is a key technique for studying unbound and weakly bound nuclei at the limits of stability. At the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), such measurements are performed using the Sweeper spectrometer, a large-gap, high-rigidity dipole system coupled to the MoNA-LISA neutron detector arrays. To meet the demands imposed by higher beam energies (>130 MeV/u) and the broad cocktail-beam selection available at FRIB, the spectrometer has recently been upgraded to improve particle-identification and detection performance. Upstream of the reaction target, a plastic scintillator with Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) readout provides the global trigger and time reference, two parallel plate avalanche counters (PPACs) track the trajectories of incoming beam particles, and a silicon PIN detector measures the energy loss, ΔE, for charge (Z) identification. After the Sweeper magnet, the trajectories of the reaction products are tracked by two micro-pattern drift chambers (MPDCs), their charge (Z) is identified by a Frisch-grid ionization chamber (FG-IC), and their mass-to-charge ratio (A/Q) is deduced by time-of-flight measurement using a fast plastic scintillator read out by an array of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs). The detection system also incorporates the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA) for neutron detection and the CAESium-iodide scintillator ARray (CAESAR) for high-efficiency γ-ray measurements to enable full kinematic reconstruction. Performance was evaluated using a cocktail beam around 37 Al accelerated at E ≈ 130 MeV/u during the first FRIB campaign, demonstrating the readiness of the upgraded system for future studies of nuclei at and beyond the neutron drip line.

Particle identification methods↗
NASA NTRS2006

Large format imaging arrays for the Atacama Cosmology Telescope

We describe progress in the fabrication, characterization, and production of detector arrays for the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). The completed ACT instrument is specified to image simultaneously at 145, 225, and 265 GHz using three 32x32 filled arrays of superconducting transition edge sensors (TES) read out with time-division-multiplexed SQUID amplifiers. We present details of the pixel design and testing including the optimization of the electrical parameters for multiplexed readout. Using geometric noise suppression and careful tuning of operation temperature and device bias resistance, the excess noise in the TES devices is balanced with detector speed for interfacing with the ACT optics. The design also accounts for practical tolerances such as transition temperature gradients and scatter that occur in the production of multiple wafers to populate fully the kilopixel cameras. We have developed an implanted absorber layer compatible with our silicon-on-insulator process that allows for tunable optical resistance with requisite on-wafer uniformity and wafer-to-wafer reproducibility. Arrays of 32 elements have been tested in the laboratory environment including electrical, optical, and multiplexed performance. Given this pixel design, optical tests and modeling are used to predict the performance of the filled array under anticipated viewing conditions. Integration of the filled array of pixels with a tuned backshort and dielectric plate in front of the array maximize absorption and the focal plane and suppress reflections. A mechanical design for the build of the full structure is completed and we report on progress toward the construction of a prototype array for first light on the ACT.

Chervenak, J. A.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design of the SPT-SLIM Focal Plane: A Spectroscopic Imaging Array for the South Pole Telescope

The Summertime Line Intensity Mapper (SLIM) is a mm-wave line-intensity mapping (mm-LIM) experiment for the South Pole Telescope (SPT). The goal of SPT-SLIM is to serve as a technical and scientific pathfinder for the demonstration of the suitability and in-field performance of multi-pixel superconducting filterbank spectrometers for future mm-LIM experiments. Scheduled to deploy in the 2023-24 austral summer, the SPT-SLIM focal plane will include 18 dual-polarisation pixels, each coupled to an $R = \lambda / \Delta \lambda = 300$ thin-film microstrip filterbank spectrometer that spans the 2 mm atmospheric window (120–180 GHz). Each individual spectral channel feeds a microstrip-coupled lumped-element kinetic inductance detector, which provides the highly multiplexed readout for the 10k detectors needed for SPT-SLIM. Here, we present an overview of the preliminary design of key aspects of the SPT-SLIM focal plane array, a description of the detector architecture and predicted performance, and initial test results that will be used to inform the final design of the SPT-SLIM spectrometer array.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
NASA NTRS2018

Performance of the QWIP Focal Plane Array for NASA's Landsat 9 Mission

The flight focal plane array (FPA) for the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2) instrument, to be flown on Landsat 9, was built and characterized at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The FPA was assembled using GaAs quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) arrays from the same lot as the TIRS instrument on Landsat 8. Each QWIP array is hybridized to an Indigo ISC9803 readout integrated circuit (ROIC) with 640 x 512, 25µm by 25µm pixels. Each QWIP hybrid was tested at the NASA/GSFC Detector Characterization Laboratory (DCL) as a single sensor chip assembly (SCA). The best SCAs in terms of performance were then built up into an FPA consisting of three SCAs, required to provide the necessary 15-degree field of view of the instrument. The FPA was tested to determine if project requirements were being met as a fully assembled unit. The performance of the QWIP SCAs and the fully assembled, NASA flight-qualified FPA will be reviewed.

Quantum well infrared photodiode↗
DOE OSTI2020

Commercially Fabricated Antenna-Coupled Transition Edge Sensor Bolometer Detectors for Next-Generation Cosmic Microwave Background Polarimetry Experiment

We report on the development of commercially fabricated multi-chronic antenna-coupled transition edge sensor (TES) bolometer arrays for cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarimetry experiments. The orders of magnitude increase in detector count for next-generation CMB experiments require a new approach in detector wafer production to increase fabrication throughput. Here, we describe collaborative efforts with a commercial superconductor electronics fabrication facility (SeeQC, Inc.) to fabricate antenna-coupled TES bolometer detectors. We have successfully fabricated an operational dual-polarization, dichroic sinuous antenna-coupled TES detector array on a 150-mm-diameter wafer. The fabricated detector arrays have average yield of 95% and excellent uniformity across the wafer. Both RF characteristics and TES bolometer properties are suitable for CMB observations. We successfully fabricated different types of TES bolometers optimized for frequency multiplexing readout, time-domain multiplexing readout, and microwave SQUID multiplexing readout. We also demonstrated high production throughput. We discuss the motivation, design considerations, fabrication processes, test results, and how industrial detector fabrication could be a path to fabricate hundreds of detector wafers for future CMB polarimetry experiments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗