Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs)

The B-mode Superconducting Detectors project develops Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) for astrophysical observations in two wavelength ranges.

In relation with the SPIAKID project at the Observatoire de Paris, the team tests visible and near infrared KIDs produced at GEPI. SPIAKIDs is an ERC-funded instrument aimed to detect ultra-faint galaxy in the near-infrared and optical bands (400 nm-1600 nm) using MKIDs. SPIAKIDs is planning to be deployed at NTT in 2025. The MKIDs will consist of 4 times 20000-pixel arrays. The detector characterization for the project is carried out in the test bench based on an adiabatic demagnetization cryostat (ADR) at APC. The instrument will also be integrated and tested at APC. This part of the project is supported by LabEx UnivEarthS.

In the millimeter wavelength range, the optimization of an instrument’s optical performance would be greatly simplified if the physical dimensions of the focal plane could be reduced without decreasing the number of detectors. An elegant way to reach such architecture would be to realize multi-frequency cryogenic detectors, i.e. integrating new functionalities approaching spectroscopy. In practice, such a detection architecture is based on the use of a broadband antenna connected to a planar circuit and then to detectors (bolometers or KIDs), all at cryogenic temperatures (T<0.3K). Several options are considered for the planar circuit, the simplest being a set of filters feeding several detectors. This is the main subject of a PhD that started in October 2021 (Pham Viet Dung). CNES supports these developments through a R&D funding.