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At least 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

Development of Large-Scale Magnetic Calorimeter Arrays

We describe performance of large-scale arrays of metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) we are developing to meet requirements of the Lynx X-ray Microcalorimeter (LXM) instrument in the astrophysics mission concept Lynx. We have fabricated prototypes with 55,800 x-ray pixels thermally connected to 5,688 MMC sensors. Subarrays demonstrate three types of pixels, which have different energy and spatial resolution goals in LXM. Pixel pitch is 50 or 25 µm. For two subarrays, use of position sensitive detectors, in a "hydra" configuration with 25 x-ray absorbers per sensor, helps achieve a large focal plane by increasing pixel count relative to readout channels. Since each absorber has a different thermal link to its sensor, it generates a different pulse shape and enables discrimination of pixel position. Superconducting wiring from all sensors was brought out to the perimeter of the overall array using multiple buried metal layers planarized by Chemical Mechanical Planarization to achieve high critical current, low inductance, and high fabrication yield. An automated, algorithmic approach was used to layout the complex wiring pattern. For readout with existing small arrays of Superconducting Quantum Interference (SQUID) amplifiers, 112 selected pixels were connected to wire bond pads. In hydras, we successfully identified 25 pulse shapes using rise-time and pulse height. Pulse shapes were similar to simulations. We measured noise and responsivity to substrate temperature and applied x-ray pulses. While we designed sensors to have high inductance to relative to stray inductance of wiring, we had only mismatched (lower input inductance) SQUIDs available in our current apparatus, giving non-optimized resolution. We compared measured and calculated energy resolutions. We have the required sensitivity to reach < 3 eV FWHM resolution for 6 keV x-rays, required for the LXM Main Array, and the ability to discriminate the 25 different absorber pixels down to energies < 300 eV.

microcalorimeters↗
DOE OSTI2022

Performance of a Kinetic Inductance Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifier at 4 Kelvin: Toward an Alternative to Semiconductor Amplifiers

Most microwave readout architectures in quantum computing or sensing rely on a semiconductor amplifier at 4 K, typically a high-electron mobility transistor (HEMT). Despite its remarkable noise performance, a conventional HEMT dissipates several milliwatts of power, posing a practical challenge to scale up the number of qubits or sensors addressed in these architectures. As an alternative, we present an amplification chain consisting of a kinetic inductance traveling-wave parametric amplifier (KITWPA) placed at 4 K, followed by a HEMT placed at 70 K, and demonstrate a chain-added noise $T_Σ$ = 6.3 ± 0.5 K between 3.5 and 5.5 GHz. While, in principle, any parametric amplifier can be quantum limited even at 4 K, in practice we find the performance of the KITWPA to be limited by the temperature of its inputs and by an excess of noise $T_{ex}$ = 1.9 K. In this work, the dissipation of the rf pump of the KITWPA constitutes the main power load at 4 K and is about 1% that of a HEMT. These combined noise and power dissipation values pave the way for the use of the KITWPA as a replacement for semiconductor amplifiers.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Detecting Spin-Bath Polarization with Quantum Quench Phase Shifts of Single Spins in Diamond

Single-qubit sensing protocols can be used to measure qubit-bath coupling parameters. However, for sufficiently large coupling, the sensing protocol itself perturbs the bath, which is predicted to result in a characteristic response in the sensing measurements. Here, we observe this bath perturbation, also known as a quantum quench, by preparing the nuclear spin bath of a nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in polarized initial states and performing phase-resolved spin-echo measurements on the NV electron spin. These measurements reveal a time-dependent phase determined by the initial state of the bath. We derive the relationship between the sensor phase and the Gaussian spin-bath polarization and apply it to reconstruct both the axial and transverse polarization components. Using this insight, we optimize the transfer efficiency of our dynamic nuclear polarization sequence. This technique for directly measuring bath polarization may assist in preparing high-fidelity quantum memory states, improving nanoscale NMR methods, and investigating non-Gaussian quantum baths.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

The Simons Observatory: Magnetic Shielding Measurements for the Universal Multiplexing Module

The Simons Observatory (SO) includes four telescopes that will measure the temperature and polarization of the cosmic microwave background using over 60,000 highly sensitive transition-edge bolometers (TES). These multichroic TES bolometers are read out by a microwave RF SQUID multiplexing system with a multiplexing factor of 910. Given that both TESes and SQUIDs are susceptible to magnetic field pickup and that it is hard to predict how they will respond to such fields, it is important to characterize the magnetic response of these systems empirically. This information can then be used to limit spurious signals by informing magnetic shielding designs for the detectors and readout. This paper focuses on measurements of magnetic pickup with different magnetic shielding configurations for the SO universal multiplexing module (UMM), which contains the SQUIDs, associated resonators, and TES bias circuit. The magnetic pickup of a prototype UMM was tested under three shielding configurations: no shielding (copper packaging), aluminum packaging for the UMM, and a tin/lead-plated shield surrounding the entire dilution refrigerator 100 mK cold stage. We also present measurements of the pickup in the UMM when aluminum feedhorns are installed. The measurements show that the aluminum packaging outperforms the copper packaging by a shielding factor of 8-10, and adding the tin/lead-plated 1K shield further increases the relative shielding factor in the aluminum configuration by 1-2 orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the addition of feedhorns provides a factor of 30 improvement when the tin/lead shield is not installed and a factor of 5 improvement when it is.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

SLAC microresonator RF(SMuRF) electronics: A tone-tracking readout system for superconducting microwave resonator arrays

Here, we describe the newest generation of the SLAC Microresonator RF (SMuRF) electronics, a warm digital control and readout system for microwave-frequency resonator-based cryogenic detector and multiplexer systems, such as microwave superconducting quantum interference device multiplexers (μmux) or microwave kinetic inductance detectors. Ultra-sensitive measurements in particle physics and astronomy increasingly rely on large arrays of cryogenic sensors, which in turn necessitate highly multiplexed readout and accompanying room-temperature electronics. Microwave-frequency resonators are a popular tool for cryogenic multiplexing, with the potential to multiplex thousands of detector channels on one readout line. The SMuRF system provides the capability for reading out up to 3328 channels across a 4–8 GHz bandwidth. Notably, the SMuRF system is unique in its implementation of a closed-loop tone-tracking algorithm that minimizes RF power transmitted to the cold amplifier, substantially relaxing system linearity requirements and effective noise from intermodulation products. Here, we present a description of the hardware, firmware, and software systems of the SMuRF electronics, comparing achieved performance with science-driven design requirements. In particular, we focus on the case of large-channel-count, low-bandwidth applications, but the system has been easily reconfigured for high-bandwidth applications. The system described here has been successfully deployed in lab settings and field sites around the world and is baselined for use on upcoming large-scale observatories.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1983

Monolithic short wave infrared (SWIR) detector array

A monolithic self-scanned linear detector array was developed for remote sensing in the 1.1- 2.4-micron spectral region. A high-density IRCCD test chip was fabricated to verify new design approaches required for the detector array. The driving factors in the Schottky barrier IRCCD (Pdsub2Si) process development are the attainment of detector yield, uniformity, adequate quantum efficiency, and lowest possible dark current consistent with radiometric accuracy. A dual-band module was designed that consists of two linear detector arrays. The sensor architecture places the floating diffusion output structure in the middle of the chip, away from the butt edges. A focal plane package was conceptualized and includes a polycrystalline silicon substrate carrying a two-layer, thick-film interconnecting conductor pattern and five epoxy-mounted modules. A polycrystalline silicon cover encloses the modules and bond wires, and serves as a radiation and EMI shield, thermal conductor, and contamination seal.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2019

Magnetic Calorimeter Option for the Lynx X-Ray Microcalorimeter

One option for the detector technology to implement the Lynx x-ray microcalorimeter (LXM) focal plane arrays is the metallic magnetic calorimeter (MMC). Two-dimensional imaging arrays of MMCs measure the energy of x-ray photons by using a paramagnetic sensor to detect the temperature rise in a microfabricated x-ray absorber. While small arrays of MMCs have previously been demonstrated that have energy resolution better than the 3 eV requirement for LXM, we describe LXM prototype MMC arrays that have 55,800 x-ray pixels, thermally linked to 5688 sensors in “hydra” configurations, and that have sensor inductance increased to avoid signal loss from the stray inductance in the large-scale arrays when the detectors are read out with microwave superconducting quantum interference device multiplexers, and that use multilevel planarized superconducting wiring to provide low-inductance, low-crosstalk connections to each pixel. We describe the features of recently tested MMC prototype devices and simulations of expected performance in designs opti- mized for the three subarray types in LXM.

Stevenson, Thomas R.↗
DOE OSTI2021

The magnetic structure of long-wavelength magnetohydrodynamic modes in current-carrying stellarator plasmas

Magnetic field fluctuations are observed in current-carrying stellarator plasmas when the rotational transform is close to a rational value at the edge of the plasma. At low plasma pressure, these fluctuations are associated with perturbed currents parallel to the equilibrium magnetic field lines. A model for these magnetohydrodynamic modes in a low-β, three-dimensional stellarator equilibria has been developed. A set of helical current filaments are constrained to mimic the structure of magnetic field lines on rational surfaces derived from three-dimensional (3D) equilibrium reconstructions. Transformation to straight field line coordinates then allows fitting of the poloidal magnetic sensor data to a single harmonic function, which fixes the modeled toroidal mode structure via the field line flow geometry. The developed procedure accurately captures phase and amplitude variation for m/n = 3/2, 3/1, and 4/1 modes in the 3D equilibria of the compact toroidal hybrid experiment.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Sensing and arresting metal corrosion in molten chloride salts at 800 degrees Celsius

Originally this was planned as a 5 task, 3 year project, starting in May 2019. Task 1 Detecting oxidants and metal corrosion in molten chloride salt at 800°C. Task 2 Effectiveness of Zr getter using head gas sensors of inlet and outlet gases. Task 3 Cathodic protection of metal in molten salt at reducing potential. Task 4 Find reduction potential of metals in molten chloride salts & quantum modeling. Task 5 Develop corrosion test sections integrated into molten salt flow loop. After Q4, the project was scaled back and the reorganized SOPO was reduced to 3 tasks to be completed at the end of Q7 on 01/05/2021. The 3 SOPO tasks are: Task 1 Sense oxidants and the metal corrosion in molten Na-K-Mg-Cl salt at 800°C. Task 3 Cathodically protect H230 alloy in molten Na-K-Mg-Cl salt at 800C by making H230 alloy the cathode of a power supply with a chromium-rich-metal as the anode. Task 4 Find the reduction potential of Cr metal in molten Na-K-Mg-Cl salt at 800°C. The total timeline was reduced from 12 to 7 quarters with the end date being, January 5, 2021. This amounted to task 1,3 and 4 being done in Q5,6 and 7 of an extended year 1, ending on January 5, 2021. Task 1, 3 and 4 were completed. For task1) the increase of oxidants in molten salt is detected by two things: i) a positive shift of the electrode potential for a Haynes 230 alloy (H230) metal coupon versus a silver/silver-chloride reference electrode (SSE) and ii) an increase in the corrosion rate of a H230 electrode at 800C. For task 3) applying a cathodic potential (negative overpotential) to a H230 electrode versus SSE arrested the corrosion of the cathodically protected H230 compared to an unprotected “spectator H230 electrode” in the same molten chloride salt. Lastly, for task 4) the reduction potential of chrome and chrome rich, and nickel metal electrodes were measured. The most valuable outcome of this work is that a power supply can arrest metal corrosion for metal in molten chloride salt when the power supply applies a cathodic potential to bare metal, like H230, in molten chloride salts, like ternary Mg-K-Na-chloride salt. H230 is a high strength metal for containing molten chloride salt and ternary Mg-K-Na-chloride salt is used as heat transfer fluids in concentrating solar power plants. When to use cathodic protection for protecting metal in molten chloride salts? Two scenarios are envisioned: 1) for protecting high-valued components, like solar collectors and heat exchangers and 2) for protecting the bare surface in holidays (point defects) of corrosion inhibitors that are to intended to cover the entire surface of metal.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterization of Aliased Noise in the Advanced ACTPol Receiver

Advanced ACTPol is the second-generation polarization-sensitive upgrade to the 6m aperture Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT), which increased detector count and frequency coverage compared to the previous ACTPol receiver. Advanced ACTPol utilizes a new two-stage time-division multiplexing readout architecture based on superconducting quantum interference devices to achieve a multiplexing factor as high as 64 (rows), fielding a 2012 detector camera at 150/220 GHz and two 90/150 GHz cameras containing 1716 detectors each. In a time-domain system, aliasing introduces noise to the readout. Here in this work we present a figure of merit to measure this noise contribution and present measurements of the aliased noise fraction of the Advanced ACTPol receiver as deployed.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Perspectives of active Si photonics devices for data communication and optical sensing

Si photonics has made rapid progress in research and commercialization in the past two decades. While it started with electronic–photonic integration on Si to overcome the interconnect bottleneck in data communications, Si photonics has now greatly expanded into optical sensing, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), optical computing, and microwave/RF photonics applications. From an applied physics point of view, this perspective discusses novel materials and integration schemes of active Si photonics devices for a broad range of applications in data communications, spectrally extended complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) image sensing, as well as 3D imaging for LiDAR systems. We also present a brief outlook of future synergy between Si photonic integrated circuits and Si CMOS image sensors toward ultrahigh capacity optical I/O, ultrafast imaging systems, and ultrahigh sensitivity lab-on-chip molecular biosensing.

electronic band structure↗
NASA NTRS2005

NASA Tech Briefs, July 2005

Thin-Film Resistance Heat-Flux Sensors Circuit Indicates that Voice-Recording Disks are Nearly Full Optical Sensing of Combustion Instabilities in Gas Turbines Topics include: Crane-Load Contact Sensor; Hexagonal and Pentagonal Fractal Multiband Antennas; Multifunctional Logic Gate Controlled by Temperature; Multifunctional Logic Gate Controlled by Supply Voltage; Power Divider for Waveforms Rich in Harmonics; SCB Quantum Computers Using iSWAP and 1-Qubit Rotations; CSAM Metrology Software Tool; Update on Rover Sequencing and Visualization Program; Selecting Data from a Star Catalog; Rotating Desk for Collaboration by Two Computer Programmers; Variable-Pressure Washer; Magnetically Attached Multifunction Maintenance Rover; Improvements in Fabrication of Sand/Binder Cores for Casting; Solid Freeform Fabrication of Composite-Material Objects; Efficient Computational Model of Hysteresis; Gauges for Highly Precise Metrology of a Compound Mirror; Improved Electrolytic Hydrogen Peroxide Generator; High-Power Fiber Lasers Using Photonic Band Gap Materials; Ontology-Driven Information Integration; Quantifying Traversability of Terrain for a Mobile Robot; More About Arc-Welding Process for Making Carbon Nanotubes; Controlling Laser Spot Size in Outer Space; or Software-Reconfigurable Processors for Spacecraft.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2024

Truncated nonlinear interferometer-based sensor system

A truncated non-linear interferometer-based sensor system includes an input port that receives an optical beam and a non-linear amplifier that amplifies the optical beam with a pump beam and renders a probe beam and a conjugate beam. The system's local oscillators have a relationship with the respective beams. The system includes a sensor that transduces an input with the probe beam and the conjugate beam or their respective local oscillators. It includes one or more phase-sensitive detectors that detect a phase modulation between the respective local oscillators and the probe beam and the conjugate beam. Output from the phase-sensitive-detectors is based on the detected phase modulation. The phase-sensor-detectors include measurement circuitry that measure the phase signals. The measurement is the sum or difference of the phase signals in which the measured combination exhibit a quantum noise reduction in an intensity difference or a phase sum or an amplitude difference quadrature.

Pooser, Raphael C.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Bayesian optimization of Fisher Information in nonlinear multiresonant quantum photonics gyroscopes

Abstract We propose an on-chip gyroscope based on nonlinear multiresonant optics in a thin film χ (2) resonator that combines high sensitivity, compact form factor, and low power consumption simultaneously. We theoretically analyze a novel holistic metric – Fisher Information capacity of a multiresonant nonlinear photonic cavity – to fully characterize the sensitivity of our gyroscope under fundamental quantum noise conditions. Leveraging Bayesian optimization techniques, we directly maximize the nonlinear multiresonant Fisher Information. Our holistic optimization approach orchestrates a harmonious convergence of multiple physical phenomena – including noise squeezing, nonlinear wave mixing, nonlinear critical coupling, and noninertial signals – all encapsulated within a single sensor-resonator, thereby significantly augmenting sensitivity. We show that ∼ 470 × $\sim 470{\times}$ improvement is possible over the shot-noise limited linear gyroscope with the same footprint, intrinsic quality factors, and power budget.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2020

Peculiarities of adaptive phase correction of optical wave distortions under conditions of ‘strong’ intensity fluctuations

The reason for the loss of efficiency of adaptive phase correction in the propagation of optical waves in a turbulent atmosphere under conditions of ‘strong’ intensity fluctuations is experimentally explained for the first time. Based on the data from experiments conducted on both horizontal and vertical atmospheric paths, we have found that intensity fluctuations begin to significantly affect phase measurements when the coherence radius of the optical wave becomes less than the radius of the first Fresnel zone. Under these conditions, the main meter of adaptive optics systems, i. e. the Hartmann sensor, no longer provides correct measurements of the phase distribution in the presence of deep amplitude modulation. Based on the study of the behaviour of the mode components of the phase fluctuations reconstructed from the results of measurements in various operating regimes, we have found that, first of all, the amplitudes of the lowest modes of phase fluctuation expansion (tilts, defocusing, and astigmatism) are distorted, which, as the analysis shows, is very different from the regime of weak fluctuations. (atmospheric optics)

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
NASA NTRS1990

Sensors for the Hubble Space Telescope wide field and planetary cameras (1 and 2)

The technology of the wide field planetary camera (WFPC-2) CCD technology is examined with reference to the WFPC-1 experience. Strategies are presented for elimination of quantum efficiency (QE) hysteresis and implementation of maintenance-free QE stability, improved far-UV performance, on-orbit photometric calibrations, refinements in CCD electronics, and anticipated CCD particle radiation effects. Absorption depth vs. wavelength in silicon and a cross section of the CCD membrane are shown.

Trauger, John T.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Monte Carlo Modeling and Design of Photon Energy Attenuation Layers for >10× Quantum Yield Enhancement in Si-Based Hard X-ray Detectors

High-energy (>20 keV) X-ray photon detection at high quantum yield, high spatial resolution, and short response time has long been an important area of study in physics. Scintillation is a prevalent method but limited in various ways. Directly detecting high-energy X-ray photons has been a challenge to this day, mainly due to low photon-to-photoelectron conversion efficiencies. Commercially available state-of-the-art Si direct detection products such as the Si charge-coupled device (CCD) are inefficient for >10 keV photons. Here, we present Monte Carlo simulation results and analyses to introduce a highly effective yet simple high-energy X-ray detection concept with significantly enhanced photon-to-electron conversion efficiencies composed of two layers: a top high-Z photon energy attenuation layer (PAL) and a bottom Si detector. We use the principle of photon energy down conversion, where high-energy X-ray photon energies are attenuated down to ≤10 keV via inelastic scattering suitable for efficient photoelectric absorption by Si. Our Monte Carlo simulation results demonstrate that a 10–30× increase in quantum yield can be achieved using PbTe PAL on Si, potentially advancing high-resolution, high-efficiency X-ray detection using PAL-enhanced Si CMOS image sensors.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
NASA NTRS1991

Report of the ultraviolet and visible sensors panel

In order to meet the science objectives of the Astrotech 21 mission set the Ultraviolet (UV) and Visible Sensors Panel made a number of recommendations. In the UV wavelength range of 0.01 to 0.3 micro-m the focus is on the need for large format high quantum efficiency, radiation hard 'solar-blind' detectors. Options recommended for support include Si and non-Si charge coupled devices (CCDs) as well as photocathodes with improved microchannel plate readouts. For the 0.3 to 0.9 micro-m range, it was felt that Si CCDs offer the best option for high quantum efficiencies at these wavelengths. In the 0.9 to 2.5 micro-m the panel recommended support for the investigation of monolithic arrays. Finally, the panel noted that the implementation of very large arrays will require new data transmission, data recording, and data handling technologies.

Timothy, J. Gethyn↗