Design and Performance of SuperSpec: An On-Chip, KID-Based, mm-Wavelength Spectrometer

• Published in: Journal of low temperature physics Vol. 176; no. 5-6; pp. 657 - 662
• Main Authors: Shirokoff, E., Barry, P. S., Bradford, C. M., Chattopadhyay, G., Day, P., Doyle, S., Hailey-Dunsheath, S., Hollister, M. I., Kovács, A., Leduc, H. G., McKenney, C. M., Mauskopf, P., Nguyen, H. T., O’Brient, R., Padin, S., Reck, T. J., Swenson, L. J., Tucker, C. E., Zmuidzinas, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.09.2014
• Subjects: Channels; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Filter banks; Horns; Low temperature physics; Magnetic Materials; Magnetism; Multiplexing; Noise measurement; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Prototypes; Spectrometers; Spectroscopy; Kinetic inductance detectors; Resonators; Millimeter-wavelength
• ISSN: 0022-2291; 1573-7357
• DOI: 10.1007/s10909-014-1122-8

SuperSpec is an ultra-compact spectrometer-on-a-chip for mm and submm wavelength astronomy. Its very small size, wide spectral bandwidth, and highly multiplexed detector readout will enable construction of powerful multi-object spectrometers for observations of galaxies at high redshift. SuperSpec is a filter bank with planar, lithographed, superconducting transmission line resonator filters and lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors made from Titanium Nitride. We have built an 81 detector prototype that operates in the 195–310 GHz band. The prototype has a wide-band metal feed horn with a transition to microstrip that feeds the filter bank. The prototype has demonstrated optical filter bank channels with a range of resolving powers from 300 to 700, measured fractional frequency noise of 10 - 17 Hz - 1 at 1 Hz.