Recovery of Large Angular Scale CMB Polarization for Instruments Employing Variable-delay Polarization Modulators

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the effects of VPM emission and misalignments on large-scale CMB polarization measurements, providing simulations and strategies to mitigate systematic errors and improve B-mode detection sensitivity.

Contribution

It offers a detailed modeling and simulation framework for understanding and controlling VPM-related systematics in CMB polarization experiments.

Findings

Residual VPM emission can be mitigated with proper design and controls.

Systematic errors do not fundamentally limit B-mode detection at r=0.01.

Characterizations can improve sensitivity to r<0.01.

Abstract

Variable-delay Polarization Modulators (VPMs) are currently being implemented in experiments designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background on large angular scales because of their capability for providing rapid, front-end polarization modulation and control over systematic errors. Despite the advantages provided by the VPM, it is important to identify and mitigate any time-varying effects that leak into the synchronously modulated component of the signal. In this paper, the effect of emission from a $300$ K VPM on the system performance is considered and addressed. Though instrument design can greatly reduce the influence of modulated VPM emission, some residual modulated signal is expected. VPM emission is treated in the presence of rotational misalignments and temperature variation. Simulations of time-ordered data are used to evaluate the effect of these residual errors on the power spectrum. The analysis and modeling in this paper guides experimentalists on the critical aspects of observations using VPMs as front-end modulators. By implementing the characterizations and controls as described, front-end VPM modulation can be very powerful for mitigating $1/f$ noise in large angular scale polarimetric surveys. None of the systematic errors studied fundamentally limit the detection and characterization of B-modes on large scales for a tensor-to-scalar ratio of $r=0.01$. Indeed, $r<0.01$ is achievable with commensurately improved characterizations and controls.