Development of RFSoC-based direct sampling highly multiplexed microwave SQUID readout for future CMB and submillimeter surveys

TL;DR

This paper presents the development and characterization of an RFSoC-based direct sampling microwave SQUID readout system, aiming to improve the scalability, compactness, and power efficiency for future CMB and submillimeter surveys.

Contribution

It introduces a novel RFSoC-based readout system with optimized direct RF sampling for microwave SQUID multiplexers, including firmware adaptation and performance evaluation.

Findings

Achieved direct RF sampling up to 6 GHz with low noise and high linearity.

Demonstrated successful integration of firmware and hardware for cryogenic sensor readout.

Performance meets science-driven requirements for future cosmology experiments.

Abstract

The SLAC Microresonator Radio Frequency (SMuRF) electronics is being deployed as the readout for the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) telescopes of the Simons Observatory (SO). A Radio Frequency System-on-Chip (RFSoC) based readout of microwave frequency resonator based cryogenic sensors is under development at SLAC as an upgrade path for SMuRF with simplified RF hardware, a more compact footprint, and lower total power consumption. The high-speed integrated data converters and digital data path in RFSoC enable direct RF sampling without analog up and down conversion for RF frequencies up to 6 GHz. A comprehensive optimization and characterization study has been performed for direct RF sampling for microwave SQUID multiplexers, which covers noise level, RF dynamic range, and linearity using a prototype implementation. The SMuRF firmware, including the implementation of closed-loop tone tracking, has been ported to the RFSoC platform and interfaced with the quadrature mixers for digital up and down conversion in the data converter data path to realize a full microwave SQUID multiplexer readout. In this paper, a selection of the performance characterization results of direct RF sampling for microwave SQUID multiplexer readout will be summarized and compared with science-driven requirements. Preliminary results demonstrating the read out of cryogenic sensors using the prototype system will also be presented here. We anticipate our new RFSoC-based SMuRF system will be an enabling readout for on-going and future experiments in astronomy and cosmology, which rely on large arrays of cryogenic sensors to achieve their science goals.