Design and Simulation of TiN-Based Suspended Meander Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) for Visible and Near-Infrared Astronomy Applications

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel TiN-based KID design with a suspended meander structure to enhance optical photon detection by trapping hot phonons, potentially increasing detector response for visible and near-infrared astronomy.

Contribution

It introduces a new suspended meander design for TiN KIDs that improves phonon trapping and optical response, with simulation-based validation.

Findings

Suspended meander traps hot phonons effectively.

Design enhances Cooper pair breaking, increasing detector response.

Simulations show improved optical photon sensitivity.

Abstract

We report on simulations of a novel design of optical titanium nitride (TiN)- based Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs) in order to improve their response to optical photons. We propose to separate the meander from the substrate to trap hot phonons generated by optical photons, preventing their rapid propagation through the substrate. These phonons would in turn contribute to the breaking of more Cooper pairs, thereby increasing the response of the detector. In our design, the meander is suspended a few hundred nanometers above the substrate. Furthermore, reflective gold (Au) or aluminum (Al)-based layers can be placed under the meander to improve photon coupling in the optical wavelengths.