A Route to Large-Scale Ultra-Low Noise Detector Arrays for Far-Infrared Space Applications

TL;DR

This paper presents a scalable fabrication and assembly method for ultra-sensitive far-infrared detector arrays suitable for space telescopes, emphasizing precise alignment to preserve performance.

Contribution

It introduces a novel assembly and metrology approach that enables large-scale, ultra-low noise detector arrays while maintaining strict alignment tolerances.

Findings

Demonstrated assembly techniques that preserve detector sensitivity.

Achieved precise spatial alignment in large-scale arrays.

Validated methods for scalable fabrication of detector arrays.

Abstract

Far-infrared detectors for future cooled space telescopes require ultra-sensitive detectors with optical noise equivalent powers of order 0.2 aW/\sqrt Hz. This performance has already been demonstrated in arrays of transition edge sensors. A critical step is demonstrating a method of fabrication and assembly that maintains the performance but that is extendable to create large-scale arrays suitable, for example, for application in dispersive spectrometers where it may be advantageous to fabricate the array from smaller sub-arrays. Critical here are the methods of assembly and metrology that maintain the required tolerances on the spatial alignment of the components in order to maintain overall performance. These are discussed and demonstrated.