Development of transition edge sensor detectors optimized for single-photon spectroscopy in the optical and near-infrared

Peter C. Nagler; Matthew A Greenhouse; S. Harvey Moseley; Bernard J. Rauscher; John E. Sadleir

doi:10.1117/12.2313730

12 July 2018 Development of transition edge sensor detectors optimized for single-photon spectroscopy in the optical and near-infrared

Peter C. Nagler, Matthew A Greenhouse, S. Harvey Moseley, Bernard J. Rauscher, John E. Sadleir

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 10709, High Energy, Optical, and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy VIII; 1070931 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2313730
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2018, Austin, Texas, United States

Abstract

The search for biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets will be a key focus of future space telescopes that operate in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared bands. Detection of biosignatures requires an instrument with moderate spectral resolving power (R ∼ 100) and a large bandwidth (∼ 400 nm – ∼ 1.8 μm). Additionally, biosignature detection is a photon-starved science; instruments designed for these measurements would ideally combine high optical efficiency with quantum-limited photon detectors (i.e., detectors that exhibit zero dark current). In this work, we report on our efforts to develop energy resolving transition edge sensor (TES)-based detectors designed for biosignature detection. TESs operated as microcalorimeters are compelling detectors for this application. Unlike semiconductor detectors, TESs eliminate the need for dispersive optics and are truly single photon detectors – fundamental TES noise yields uncertainty in the energies of detected photons, not in the number of detected photons. We introduce TESs designed for this application and discuss the path toward realizing a TES-based dispersionless spectrometer optimized for biosignature detection.

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Peter C. Nagler, Matthew A Greenhouse, S. Harvey Moseley, Bernard J. Rauscher, and John E. Sadleir "Development of transition edge sensor detectors optimized for single-photon spectroscopy in the optical and near-infrared", Proc. SPIE 10709, High Energy, Optical, and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy VIII, 1070931 (12 July 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2313730

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KEYWORDS

Sensors

Spectral resolution

Single photon detectors

Thermodynamics

Semiconductors

Near infrared

Spectroscopes

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