The CLASS 150/220 GHz Polarimeter Array: Design, Assembly, and Characterization

We report on the development of a polarization-sensitive dichroic (150/220 GHz) detector array for the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS) delivered to the telescope site in June 2019. In concert with existing 40 and 90 GHz telescopes, the 150/220 GHz telescope will make observations of t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of low temperature physics 2020-04, Vol.199 (1-2), p.289-297
Main Authors: Dahal, S., Amiri, M., Appel, J. W., Bennett, C. L., Corbett, L., Datta, R., Denis, K., Essinger-Hileman, T., Halpern, M., Helson, K., Hilton, G., Hubmayr, J., Keller, B., Marriage, T., Nunez, C., Petroff, M., Reintsema, C., Rostem, K., U-Yen, K., Wollack, E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum base alloys
Assembly
Balances (scales)
Big Bang theory
Bolometers
Characterization and Evaluation of Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Cosmic microwave background
Cosmology
Focal plane devices
Ionization
Linear polarization
Low temperature physics
Magnetic Materials
Magnetism
Optical communication
Optical thickness
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Polarimeters
Sensor arrays
Sensors
Telescopes
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Summary:We report on the development of a polarization-sensitive dichroic (150/220 GHz) detector array for the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS) delivered to the telescope site in June 2019. In concert with existing 40 and 90 GHz telescopes, the 150/220 GHz telescope will make observations of the cosmic microwave background over large angular scales aimed at measuring the primordial B-mode signal, the optical depth to reionization, and other fundamental physics and cosmology. The 150/220 GHz focal plane array consists of three detector modules with 1020 transition edge sensor bolometers in total. Each dual-polarization pixel on the focal plane contains four bolometers to measure the two linear polarization states at 150 and 220 GHz. Light is coupled through a planar orthomode transducer fed by a smooth-walled feedhorn array made from an aluminum–silicon alloy (CE7). In this work, we discuss the design, assembly, and in-laboratory characterization of the 150/220 GHz detector array. The detectors are photon-noise limited, and we estimate the total array noise-equivalent power to be 2.5 and 4  aW s for 150 and 220 GHz arrays, respectively.
ISSN:0022-2291
1573-7357
DOI:10.1007/s10909-019-02317-0