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DOE OSTI2020

CCAT-prime: Designs and status of the first light 280 GHz MKID array and mod-cam receiver

The CCAT-prime project's first light array will be deployed in Mod-Cam, a single-module testbed and first light cryostat, on the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST) in Chile's high Atacama desert in late 2022. FYST is a six-meter aperture telescope being built on Cerro Chajnantor at an elevation of 5600 meters to observe at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. 1 Mod-Cam will pave the way for Prime-Cam, the primary first generation instrument, which will house up to seven instrument modules to simultaneously observe the sky and study a diverse set of science goals from monitoring protostars to probing distant galaxy clusters and characterizing the cosmic microwave background (CMB). At least one feedhorn-coupled array of microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) centered on 280 GHz will be included in Mod-Cam at first light, with additional instrument modules to be deployed along with Prime-Cam in stages. The first 280 GHz detector array was fabricated by the Quantum Sensors Group at NIST in Boulder, CO and includes 3,456 polarization- sensitive MKIDs. Current mechanical designs allow for up to three hexagonal arrays to be placed in each single instrument module. We present details on this first light detector array, including mechanical designs and cold readout plans, as well as introducing Mod-Cam as both a testbed and predecessor to Prime-Cam.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

DOE OSTI2023

Toward a DM Search with Phonon-Mediated MKID Devices at NEXUS

To continue the search for dark matter (DM) into the sub-GeV mass range, the development and characterization of new detectors with sub-eV thresholds is critical. Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) offer an attractive architecture for novel microcalorimeters with the requisite energy resolution and threshold for probing DM down to the fermionic thermal relic mass limit of a few keV. A phonon-sensitive MKID device featuring an aluminum resonator patterned onto a silicon substrate has been operating at the NEXUS low-background facility at Fermilab for characterization and evaluation of its efficacy for a dark matter search. Currently, our estimate of the energy resolution of this device is limited by the efficiency for phonons produced via particle interactions in the substrate to propagate to the superconductor and break Cooper pairs. In this poster, I will present our constraints on the substrate-superconductor coupling and the progress on an absolute energy calibration performed by exposing the rear of the substrate to a pulsed source of 470 nm photons. I will also review the current status and next steps of the phonon-mediated MKID effort at Fermilab.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2023

SPT-SLIM: Line Intensity Mapping with the South Pole Telescope

Line-intensity mapping (LIM) at millimeter wavelengths is a powerful emerging probe of the large-scale structure of the Universe, but achieving meaningful constraints on cosmological parameters with LIM requires focal planes with orders of magnitudes more detectors than existing instruments. SPT-SLIM is an upcoming experiment to demonstrate LIM observations of CO at 0.5 < z < 2.0 using on-chip spectrometers with kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs), a new technology that enables scaling to the much larger arrays of detectors needed to probe cosmology. I will describe the overall experimental design and specific goals of SPT-SLIM. In addition, I will highlight results of the detector and readout electronics development for SPT-SLIM and the status of the camera integration and commissioning in the lab.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Cryogenic Platforms at Fermilab: Recent Results and Outlook

The Cosmic Quantum group at Fermilab operates three cryogenic facilities dedicated to the development and calibration of superconducting low-threshold detectors and qubits. One of which (LOUD) is located at the surface, while the other two (NEXUS and QUIET) are located 100 m underground enabling low-background device characterization and rare event searches. Recently, we have demonstrated world-leading resolution in the quasiparticle channel for kinetic inductance phonon-mediated detectors as well as the lowest rate of spatially- and temporally- correlated errors ( charge jumps ) in superconducting qubit chips. We have additionally made significant progress in expanding the suite of tools for simulating signal production and readout of these devices. In this talk, I will review these recent results, discuss some nascent projects focused on enhancing sensitivity of these detectors to sub-GeV dark matter, and highlight activities in these facilities over the next year.

Temples, Dylan J.↗

DOE OSTI2025

KIPM Detector Characterization in QUIET

Kinetic Inductance Phonon‑Mediated (KIPM) detectors are superconducting microwave resonators on silicon that sense bursts of energy through tiny shifts in their resonance. In this work, we installed new devices in the QUIET facility's cryogenic test setup and used a network analyzer to drive them across a range of power levels. At each setting, we measured the transmitted signal and fit it to a simple notch‑filter model, allowing us to extract key performance metrics. And despite the increased noise at low power, our model consistently captured the resonance behavior. We observed that the resonant frequency stayed stable across most powers, the device s internal quality factor improved with stronger signals, and its coupling strength peaked mid‑range before leveling off. Overall, these findings confirm the detector s performance, laying groundwork for future work on energy calibration with pulsed optical sources.

Savitala, Akash [Washington U., Seattle; Fermilab]↗

DOE OSTI2026

Design of a Cryogenic Assembly for Comparing Qubit Infrared Packaging Inefficiencies

It is well known that everything emits infrared (IR) light in the form of thermal radiation. IR radiation on superconducting qubits carries enough energy to cause decoherence and so-called “quasiparticle poisoning.” Therefore, proper IR shielding is needed to keep the qubit in a high-coherence state. However, trying to extract IR-specific information from a qubit is difficult, so a microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) can be used instead. We show that the IR shielding inefficiencies of MKID packages can only be compared with other packaging inefficiencies. We create a cryogenic assembly CAD design, consisting of magnetic shield cans, a copper mounting plate and mounts, and an MKID enclosure, which thermalizes the assembly to dilution refrigerator temperatures. Phase 1 of this design involves using a narrowband IR laser source to test the IR shielding of packaging at the laser’s wavelength. When the best IR shielding packaging is determined, the superconducting qubit can replace the MKID, allowing the qubit to avoid decoherence due to IR radiation and boost its performance and coherence lifetime.

Mailliard, Robert J. [Fermilab] (ORCID:00090000277↗

DOE OSTI2026

A Cryogenic Muon Tagging System Integrated with a Superconducting Qubit Device for Radiation-Induced Error Mitigation

Superconducting qubits are highly sensitive to ionizing radiation, which can induce correlated errors and limit scalable fault-tolerant quantum computing. In particular, cosmic-ray muons can deposit energy in the substrate, generating phonon bursts that break Cooper pairs and produce quasiparticles, leading to correlated decoherence events across multiple qubits. We present the development of a cryogenic muon tagging system based on Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) and its integration with superconducting quantum hardware. Originally developed within the ACE-SuperQ project and validated as a standalone detector, the system demonstrated a muon tagging efficiency of approximately 90% and excellent agreement with Monte Carlo simulations. Building on this validation, the tagging system has been integrated with a multi-qubit superconducting chip operated in a dilution refrigerator. The detector configuration consists of a multi-layer KID stack arranged above and below the quantum device, enabling time-coincident identification of muon-induced events within the same cryogenic environment. The integrated setup has been successfully commissioned, enabling simultaneous operation of the qubit chip and the muon tagging system. A first measurement campaign has been carried out, and preliminary data show time-correlated events between the muon tagging detectors and the qubit readout. A quantitative analysis of radiation-induced effects on qubit performance is currently ongoing. This work represents a step toward the implementation of event-level radiation tagging as a tool for characterizing and potentially mitigating correlated errors in superconducting quantum processors, while establishing a modular platform for future studies at the interface between particle physics and quantum information science.

Roy, Tanay [Fermilab] (ORCID:000000019442862X)↗

DOE OSTI2026

Design of a Cryogenic Assembly for Comparing Qubit Infrared Packaging Inefficiencies

Mailliard, Robert J. [Fermilab] (ORCID:00090000277↗

DOE OSTI2026

Design of a Cryogenic Assembly for Comparing Qubit Infrared Packaging Inefficiencies

It is well known that everything emits infrared (IR) light in the form of thermal radiation. IR radiation on superconducting qubits carries enough energy to cause decoherence and so-called “quasiparticle poisoning.” Therefore, proper IR shielding is needed to keep the qubit in a high coherence state. However, trying to extract IR-specific information from a qubit is difficult, so a microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) can be used instead. We show that the IR shielding inefficiencies of MKID packages can only be compared with other packaging inefficiencies. We create a cryogenic assembly CAD design, consisting of magnetic shield cans, a copper mounting plate and mounts, and an MKID enclosure, which thermalizes the assembly to dilution refrigerator temperatures. Phase 1 of this design involves using a narrowband IR laser source to test the IR shielding of packaging at the laser’s wavelength. When the best IR shielding packaging is determined, the superconducting qubit can replace the MKID, allowing the qubit to avoid decoherence due to IR radiation and boost its performance and coherence lifetime.

Mailliard, Robert J. [Fermilab] (ORCID:00090000277↗

NASA NTRS1990

Upcoming planetary missions and the applicability of high temperature superconductor bolometers

Planetary missions to Mars and beyond can last 11 years and longer, making impractical the use of stored cryogens. Passive radiative coolers and single-stage mechanical coolers remain possibilities. CRAF and CASSINI, both using the newly developed Mariner Mark 2 spacecraft, will be the next outer planet missions after Galileo; they are intended to provide information on the origin and evolution of the solar system. CRAF is a cometary rendezvous mission slated for a 1994 launch. CASSINI has been chosen by ESA and will be launched by a Titan 4/Centaur in 1996. It will fly by Jupiter in 2000, inject an ESA-supplied probe into Titan in 2002, and take data in Saturn orbit from 2002 to 2006. NASA/Goddard is currently developing a prototype Fourier transform spectrometer (CIRS) that will be proposed for the CASSINI mission. The baseline infrared detectors for CIRS are HgCdTe to 16 microns and Schwarz-type thermopiles from 16 to 1000 microns. The far infrared focal plane could be switched from thermopiles to high temperature superconductor (HTS) bolometers between now and 1996. An HTS bolometer could be built using the kinetic inductance effect, or the sharp resistance change at the transition. The transition-edge bolometer is more straightforward to implement and initial efforts at NASA/Goddard are directed to that device. A working device was made and tested in early 1989. It also has somewhat elevated noise levels below 100 Hz. Upcoming efforts will center on reducing the time constant of the HTS bolometer by attempting to deposit an HTS film on a diamond substrate, and by thinning SrTiO3 substrates. Attempts will be made to improve the film quality to reduce th 1/f noise level, and to improve the thermal isolation to increase the bolometer sensitivity. An attempt is being made to deposit good-quality HTS films on diamond films using an MOCVD technique.

Brasunas, J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Superconductivity applications for infrared and microwave devices; Proceedings of the Meeting, Orlando, FL, Apr. 19, 20, 1990

Various papers on superconductivity applications for IR and microwave devices are presented. The individual topics addressed include: pulsed laser deposition of Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O films, patterning of high-Tc superconducting thin films on Si substrates, IR spectra and the energy gap in thin film YBa2Cu3O(7-delta), high-temperature superconducting thin film microwave circuits, novel filter implementation utilizing HTS materials, high-temperature superconductor antenna investigations, high-Tc superconducting IR detectors, high-Tc superconducting IR detectors from Y-Ba-Cu-O thin films, Y-Ba-Cu0-O thin films as high-speed IR detectors, fabrication of a high-Tc superconducting bolometer, transition-edge microbolometer, photoresponse of YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) granular and epitaxial superconducting thin films, fast IR response of YBCO thin films, kinetic inductance effects in high-Tc microstrip circuits at microwave frequencies.

Bhasin, Kul B.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Upcoming planetary missions and the applicability of high temperature superconductor bolometers

Planetary missions to Mars and beyond can last 11 years and longer, making impractical the use of stored cryogens. Passive radiative coolers and single-stage mechanical coolers remain possibilities. Cassini and Comet Rendezvous/Asteroid Fly-by (CRAF), both using the newly developed Mariner Mark 2 spacecraft, will be the next outer planet missions after Galileo; they are intended to provide information on the origin and evolution of the solar system. CRAF is slated for a 1994 launch. Cassini was chosen by ESA and will be launched by a Titan 4/Centaur in 1996. It will fly by Jupiter in 2000, inject an ESA-supplied probe into Titan in 2002, and take data in Saturn's orbit from 2002 to 2006. NASA/Goddard is currently developing a prototype Fourier transform spectrometer, the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS), for the Cassini mission. The baseline infrared detectors for CIRS are HgCdTe to 16 microns and Schwarz-type thermopiles from 16 to 1000 microns. The far infrared focal plane could be switched from thermopiles to high temperature superconductor (HTS) bolometers between now and 1996. An HTS bolometer could be built using the kinetic inductance effect, or the sharp resistance change at the transition. The transition-edge bolometer is more straightforward to implement, and initial efforts at NASA/Goddard are directed to that device. A working device was made and tested in early 1989. It also has somewhat elevated noise levels below 100 Hz. Upcoming efforts will center on reducing the time constant of the HTS bolometer by attempting to deposit an HTS film on a diamond substrate, and by thinning SrTiO3 substrates. Attempts will be made to improve the film quality to reduce the 1/4 noise level, and to improve the thermal isolation to increase the bolometer sensitivity. An attempt is being made to deposit good-quality HTS films on diamond films using a metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique.

Brasunas, J.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Correction Factor for Determining the London Penetration Depth from Strip Resonators

A significant disagreement is often seen between the theoretical temperature dependent magnetic penetration depth profile and experimentally derived calculations based on stripline type resonators. This short paper shows that the disagreement can be attributed to the susceptance coupled into the resonator from the gap discontinuity as well as the feed line. When the effect is taken into account, the natural resonant frequency of the resonator is increased, and the frequency shift due to kinetic inductance can be calculated much more accurately. While it is necessary to include this effect to determine the penetration depth, it is shown that the impact on unloaded quality factor is generally negligible. The situation when the strip characteristic impedance is not matched to the generator is included.

Romanofsky, Robert R.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Characterization of Treefoil Peptide Genes in Iron-Ion or X-Irradiated Human Cells

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is especially sensitive to ionizing radiation, probably because of its high rate of cell turn over. Most of the data in the literature concerns the histological/anatomical description of damage rather than functional studies. In fact, previous reports in humans have shown that, at doses of 2 Gy or more, functional abnormalities appear indicating that in radiation sensitive tissues the effects of radiation are not limited to cell death. GI functions are controlled in particular by GI peptides. One hypothesis is that ionizing radiation may modulate the synthesis and release of these peptides and consequently may contribute largely to abnormalities in GI function. However, no previous studies have been concerned with GI-specific gene expression in irradiated GI tissues. The family of human trefoil peptides comprises three members thus far, all of which are expressed in specific regions of the GI tract. In addition, two trefoil peptides, pS2 (TFFI) and HITF (TFF2) are expressed in breast tissue. Their exact function in GI and breast tissues is unclear but mucosal integrity, repair, mucin secretion and responsiveness to hormones have been shown. We recently isolated and characterized pS2 as a novel p53- and estrogen receptor-independent gene whose MRNA expression in several cells lines was found to be delayed 4 to 7 days after irradiation with X-rays, fission neutrons or 1 GeV/n Fe-ions. The aim of the present study was to determine whether pS2 and HITF have a similar induction kinetics in irradiated gastric and breast cell lines, and whether they have the phorbol ester (TPA) responsive element (TRE).

Balcer-Kubiczek, E. K.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Fabrication and Characterization of Superconducting NbN Nanowire Single Photon Detectors

We report on the fabrication and characterization of high-speed, single photon detectors using superconducting NbN nanowires at a wavelength of 1064 nm. A 15 by 15 micron detector with a detector efficiency of 40% has been measured. Due to kinetic inductance, the recovery time of such large area detectors is longer than that of smaller or single wire detectors. The recovery time of our detectors (50 ns) has been characterized by measuring the inter-arrival time statistics of our detector.

single proton detectors↗

NASA NTRS2007

Recent Results of a New Microwave SQUID Multiplexer

We are developing a proof-of-concept microwave SQUID multiplexer containing four SQUIDs coupled to GHz frequency resonant circuits and fed with a single microwave readout line. The resonators are half-wave coplanar waveguide sections and are similar to the structures used for the microwave kinetic inductance detectors developed in our group. Optimal values for the interdigital gap capacitors were determined to maximize the sensitivity of the transmitted and reflected microwave signal with respect to changes in the dynamic resistance of the SQUID. The dc current-bias line for the SQUID has an in-line inductive high frequency filter to minimize coupling between the bias line and resonator. A high frequency modulation scheme is proposed to eliminate the need for individual flux biasing of the SQUIDs, which extends the dynamic range of the readout. In this scheme a common modulation signal is imposed on each SQUID and the received signal is demodulated at one and two times the modulation frequency to maintain sensitivity at any flux state. We present the recent results of the microwave SQUID multiplexer system operating at a readout frequency range of 10 - 11GHz.

superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID↗

NASA NTRS2010

Fabrication of an Absorber-Coupled MKID Detector and Readout for Sub-Millimeter and Far-Infrared Astronomy

We have fabricated absorber-coupled microwave kinetic inductance detector (MKID) arrays for sub-millimeter and far-infrared astronomy. Each detector array is comprised of lambda/2 stepped impedance resonators, a 1.5 micrometer thick silicon membrane, and 380 micrometer thick silicon walls. The resonators consist of parallel plate aluminum transmission lines coupled to low impedance Nb microstrip traces of variable length, which set the resonant frequency of each resonator. This allows for multiplexed microwave readout and, consequently, good spatial discrimination between pixels in the array. The Al transmission lines simultaneously act to absorb optical power and are designed to have a surface impedance and filling fraction so as to match the impedance of free space. Our novel fabrication techniques demonstrate high fabrication yield of MKID arrays on large single crystal membranes and sub-micron front-to-back alignment of the microstrip circuit.

Brown, Ari-David↗

NASA NTRS2012

Mu-Spec: A High Performance Compact Spectrometer for Submillimeter Astronomy

We describe the Mu-Spec, an extremely compact high performance spectrometer for the submillimeter and millimeter spectral ranges. We have designed a fully integrated submillimeter spectrometer based on superconducting microstrip technology and fabricated its critical elements. Using low loss transmission lines, we can produce a fully integrated high resolution submillimeter spectrometer on a single four inch Si wafer. A resolution of 500 can readily be achieved with standard fabrication tolerance, higher with phase trimming. All functions of the spectrometer are integrated - light is coupled to the microstrip circuit with a planar antenna, the spectra discrimination is achieved using a synthetic grating, orders are separated using a built-in planar filter, and the light is detected using photon counting Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKID). We will discus the design principle of the instrument, describe its technical advantages, and report the progress on the development of the instrument.

Hsieh, Wen-Ting↗