The LiteBIRD experiment is an international spaceborne telescope, led by JAXA, to observe cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. The instrument will be deployed to measure and characterize the signature of the primordial gravitational waves from cosmic inflation in the B-mode polarization of the CMB radiation. These observations and measurements will take place over 15 separate bands in the range of 34 to 448 GHz. This paper will describe the process flow developed to fabricate the lowest bands of the detectors, namely in the range of 34 to 99 GHz. The detector wafer itself will be further divided into two process flows - one covering the cosmic ray mitigation structures and the other describing the trichroic polarization sensitive sinuous antenna, coupled to the transition-edge sensor (TES) detectors fabricated on the device side of the wafer. Building on the process flow previously developed for detector wafers in the adjacent higher low-frequency bands, these wafers will also incorporate Pd based cosmic ray mitigation structures, of different thicknesses, on both the skyside and device side.
We combine use of the Zemax Programming Language and an API (Application Programme Interface) feature in the Zemax Opticstudio software which allows for rapid ray-tracing computations and maps of intermediate ray distribution intersections with in-house IDL code to produce maps of stray-light distribution and spectral content of ghost images. The calculation of the spectral amplitude of the latter is performed via prior knowledge of spectral transmission of all optical elements involved in a refractor telescope. The results are of generic nature and can be applied to any optical system. For the numerical examples in this case we consider the JAXA LiteBIRD CMB Medium and High frequency telescopes as a study case and perform a parametric study of the position of its infrared rejecting filters by looking at multiple configurations within a python envelope. By manipulating the resulting intermediate products of ray incidence distribution we determine the optimal position of the filters that will minimize ghost features on the focal plane (or define some competing configurations based on desired outcomes).The resulting analysis is in competition with other aspects of filter positioning (mechanical and thermal) so the results of this optimization is not necessarily a final outcome. Results from such a study can be used to characterize the variation of spectral response across the focal plane caused by the impact angle distribution on the optical coatings and finally the distribution of thermal (out of band) rejected light reflected by the filters on the optical baffles. The first can be obtained with the majority of optical modelling commercial packages, the second are more complex and can also be done in a similar way with packages that perform non-sequential analysis.
We are developing broadband metamaterial planar lenslet arrays for millimeter and submillimeter imaging using stacked silicon wafers patterned with subwavelength copper squares, deep reactive ion etched (DRIE) holes, or a hybrid combination of the two. Beam-forming is accomplished through spatial variation in refractive index within each pixel created by these subwavelength features, a gradient-index (GRIN) design. However, the optical properties of both the metal mesh and DRIE metamaterials exhibit dependence on polarization orientation and wavelength, posing challenges for lens design. We combine metal mesh and DRIE GRIN sections to leverage the contrasting polarization- and frequency-dependent properties of the two material types. Here we present measurements of our most recent prototype metamaterial GRIN lens on sinuous antenna-coupled TES detectors from 88 to 225 GHz. We also present design studies extending to higher frequencies and optimizing for different pixel pitches.
LiteBIRD, a forthcoming JAXA mission, aims to accurately study the microwave sky within the 40-400 GHz frequency range divided into 15 distinct nominal bands. The primary objective is to constrain the CMB inflationary signal, specifically the primordial B-modes. LiteBIRD targets the CMB B-mode signal on large angular scales, where the primordial inflationary signal is expected to dominate, with the goal of reaching a tensor-to-scalar ratio sensitivity of σr ∼ 0.001. LiteBIRD frequency bands will be split among three telescopes, with some overlap between telescopes for better control of systematic effects. Here we report on the development status of the detector arrays for the Low Frequency Telescope (LFT), which spans the 34-161 GHz range, with 12 bands subdivided between four types of trichroic pixels consisting of lenslet-coupled sinuous antennas. The signal from the antenna is bandpass filtered and sensed by AlMn Transition-Edge Sensors (TES). We provide an update on the status of the design and development of LiteBIRD’s LFT LF1 (40-60-78 GHz), LF2 (50-68-89 GHz) pixels. We discuss design choices motivated by LiteBIRD scientific goals. In particular we focus on the details of the optimization of the design parameters of the sinuous antenna, on-chip bandpass filters, cross-under and impedance transformers and all the RF components that define the LF1 and LF2 pixel detection chain. We present this work in the context of the technical challenges and physical constraints imposed by the finite size of the instrument.
LiteBIRD is a JAXA-led strategic large-class satellite mission designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background and Galactic foregrounds from 34 to 448 GHz across the entire sky from L2 in the late 2020s. The scientific payload includes three telescopes which are called the low-, mid-, and high-frequency telescopes each with their own receiver that covers a portion of the mission’s frequency range. The low frequency telescope will map synchrotron radiation from the Galactic foreground and the cosmic microwave background. We discuss the design, fabrication, and characterization of the low-frequency focal plane modules for low-frequency telescope, which has a total bandwidth ranging from 34 to 161 GHz. There will be a total of 4 different pixel types with 8 overlapping bands to cover the full frequency range. These modules are housed in a single low-frequency focal plane unit which provides thermal isolation, mechanical support, and radiative baffling for the detectors. The module design implements multi-chroic lenslet-coupled sinuous antenna arrays coupled to transition edge sensor bolometers read out with frequency-domain mulitplexing. While this technology has strong heritage in ground-based cosmic microwave background experiments, the broad frequency coverage, low optical loading conditions, and the high cosmic ray background of the space environment require further development of this technology to be suitable for LiteBIRD. In these proceedings, we discuss the optical and bolometeric characterization of a triplexing prototype pixel with bands centered on 78, 100, and 140 GHz.
LiteBIRD is a satellite mission designed to map the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at degree and larger scales from 40 to 402 GHz. LiteBIRD will use 4,600 Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) bolometers biased and read out using Digital Frequency Domain Multiplexing (DfMux). The DfMux implementation for LiteBIRD uses sub-kelvin Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) at the same 0.1 K thermal stage as the detectors, this allows for reduced parasitic impedances within the mK circuit and improved SQUID performance. Additionally it must work in the integrated system with the spacecraft’s wiring harnesses, which will be longer than is typical on similar ground based experiments, and therefore have more significant parasitic impedances which will impact readout performance. The properties of SQUID candidates at millikelvin temperatures and effects of the spacecraft-like meter scale wiring harness are investigated. Additionally, the possibility of inductively rather than resistively biasing our bolometers at the 0.1K stage, to reduce power dissipation in the bias element, is investigated. We will report progress on validating the cryogenic components of this readout system.
LiteBIRD is the next-generation space mission for polarization-sensitive mapping of the Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies, with observations covering the full sky in a wide frequency range (34-448 GHz) to ensure high-precision removal of polarized foregrounds. Its main goal is to constrain the contribution of primordial gravitational waves to the curly component of the CMB polarization pattern. The LiteBIRD Medium and High Frequency Telescope (MHFT) will observe the sky in the 89-448 GHz band. Its optical configuration features two separate dual-lens assemblies with 300mm and 200mm apertures, 28° fields of view and diffraction-limited imaging over the whole spectral range. Polarization modulation is achieved through the continuous spinning of a half-wave plate at the optical entrance of each system. The optical studies for MHFT focus on a refined modeling of the telescope elements (lenses, anti-reflection coatings, absorbers, interfaces) to assess their individual effects on the predicted optical behavior of the telescopes. Such studies will provide key inputs for end-to-end simulations and will inform the subsystem and system-level characterization to meet the stringent requirements set for the LiteBIRD success. We describe the progress in MHFT optical modeling and the ongoing efforts to reproduce full Medium Frequency Telescope (MFT) and High Frequency Telescope (HFT) beams for representative focal plane pixels down to the far-sidelobe angular region. Here, systematic effects due to challenging beam measurements and higher order optical coupling between the telescope and the surrounding structures are likely to affect the final level and shape of the beams and thus set compelling requirements for in-flight calibration and beam reconstruction.
The Lite (Light) satellite for the study of B-mode polarization and Inflation from cosmic background Radiation Detection (LiteBIRD) is a space mission to search for and characterize the signature of inflation in the polarized signal from the cosmic microwave background (CMB), and probe fundamental physics. LiteBIRD will precisely measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background on large angular scales ≳ 1 deg. It will survey the full sky with three telescopes covering 15 frequency bands centered at frequencies from 40 to 402 GHz. The pixel design for the low- and mid-frequency telescopes features a hemispherical lenslet coupled to a broadband sinuous antenna. The radiation detected by the sinuous antenna propagates through a superconducting microstrip and on-chip bandpass filters before being detected by superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers. The TES design fulfills requirements for low saturation power of the space environment while maintaining a fast time response for use with a continuously-rotating half-wave plate. We present measurements of the electrical and thermal properties of the TES detectors with values required for the LiteBIRD mission, the design and measurements of a dual-polarization trichroic pixel at 40, 60, and 78 GHz suitable for the low-frequency telescope, and the design and preliminary measurements for a detector array at 100, 140, and 195 GHz suitable for the mid-frequency telescope.
LiteBIRD, the Lite (Light) satellite for the study of B-mode polarization and Inflation from cosmic background Radiation Detection, is a space mission for primordial cosmology and fundamental physics. JAXA selected LiteBIRD in May 2019 as a strategic large-class (L-class) mission, with its expected launch in the late 2020s using JAXA's H3 rocket. LiteBIRD plans to map the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization over the full sky with unprecedented precision. Its main scientific objective is to carry out a definitive search for the signal from cosmic inflation, either making a discovery or ruling out well-motivated inflationary models. The measurements of LiteBIRD will also provide us with an insight into the quantum nature of gravity and other new physics beyond the standard models of particle physics and cosmology. To this end, LiteBIRD will perform full-sky surveys for three years at the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point L2 for 15 frequency bands between 34 and 448 GHz with three telescopes, to achieve a total sensitivity of 2.16 μK-arcmin with a typical angular resolution of 0.5° at 100 GHz. We provide an overview of the LiteBIRD project, including scientific objectives, mission requirements, top-level system requirements, operation concept, and expected scientific outcomes.
LiteBIRD has been selected as JAXA’s strategic large mission in the 2020s, to observe the cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode polarization over the full sky at large angular scales. The challenges of LiteBIRD are the wide field-of-view (FoV) and broadband capabilities of millimeter-wave polarization measurements, which are derived from the system requirements. The possible paths of stray light increase with a wider FoV and the far sidelobe knowledge of -56 dB is a challenging optical requirement. A crossed-Dragone configuration was chosen for the low frequency telescope (LFT : 34–161 GHz), one of LiteBIRD’s onboard telescopes. It has a wide field-of-view (18° x 9°) with an aperture of 400 mm in diameter, corresponding to an angular resolution of about 30 arcminutes around 100 GHz. The focal ratio f/3.0 and the crossing angle of the optical axes of 90◦ are chosen after an extensive study of the stray light. The primary and secondary reflectors have rectangular shapes with serrations to reduce the diffraction pattern from the edges of the mirrors. The reflectors and structure are made of aluminum to proportionally contract from warm down to the operating temperature at 5 K. A 1/4 scaled model of the LFT has been developed to validate the wide field-of-view design and to demonstrate the reduced far sidelobes. A polarization modulation unit (PMU), realized with a half-wave plate (HWP) is placed in front of the aperture stop, the entrance pupil of this system. A large focal plane with approximately 1000 AlMn TES detectors and frequency multiplexing SQUID amplifiers is cooled to 100 mK. The lens and sinuous antennas have broadband capability. Performance specifications of the LFT and an outline of the proposed verification plan are presented.
LiteBIRD is a JAXA-led Strategic Large-Class mission designed to search for the existence of the primordial gravitational waves produced during the inflationary phase of the Universe, through the measurements of their imprint onto the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). These measurements, requiring unprecedented sensitivity, will be performed over the full sky, at large angular scales, and over 15 frequency bands from 34 GHz to 448 GHz. The LiteBIRD instruments consist of three telescopes, namely the Low-, Medium-and High-Frequency Telescope (respectively LFT, MFT and HFT). We present in this paper an overview of the design of the Medium-Frequency Telescope (89{224 GHz) and the High-Frequency Telescope (166{448 GHz), the so-called MHFT, under European responsibility, which are two cryogenic refractive telescopes cooled down to 5 K. They include a continuous rotating half-wave plate as the first optical element, two high-density polyethylene (HDPE) lenses and more than three thousand transition-edge sensor (TES) detectors cooled to 100 mK. We provide an overview of the concept design and the remaining specific challenges that we have to face in order to achieve the scientific goals of LiteBIRD.
LiteBIRD is a JAXA-led strategic Large-Class satellite mission designed to measure the polarization of the cosmic microwave background and cosmic foregrounds from 34 to 448 GHz across the entire sky from L2 in the late 2020's. The primary focus of the mission is to measure primordially generated B-mode polarization at large angular scales. Beyond its primary scientific objective LiteBIRD will generate a data-set capable of probing a number of scientific inquiries including the sum of neutrino masses. The primary responsibility of United States will be to fabricate the three flight model focal plane units for the mission. The design and fabrication of these focal plane units is driven by heritage from ground based experiments and will include both lenslet-coupled sinuous antenna pixels and horn-coupled orthomode transducer pixels. The experiment will have three optical telescopes called the low frequency telescope, mid frequency telescope, and high frequency telescope each of which covers a portion of the mission's frequency range. JAXA is responsible for the construction of the low frequency telescope and the European Consortium is responsible for the mid- and high- frequency telescopes. The broad frequency coverage and low optical loading conditions, made possible by the space environment, require development and adaptation of detector technology recently deployed by other cosmic microwave background experiments. This design, fabrication, and characterization will take place at UC Berkeley, NIST, Stanford, and Colorado University, Boulder. We present the current status of the US deliverables to the LiteBIRD mission.
LiteBIRD is a JAXA strategic L-class mission devoted to the measurement of polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background, searching for the signature of primordial gravitational waves in the B-modes pattern of the polarization. The onboard instrumentation includes a Middle and High Frequency Telescope (MHFT), based on a pair of cryogenically cooled refractive telescopes covering, respectively, the 89-224 GHz and the 166-448 GHz bands. Given the high target sensitivity and the careful systematics control needed to achieve the scientific goals of the mission, optical modeling and characterization are performed with the aim to capture most of the physical effects potentially affecting the real performance of the two refractors. We describe the main features of the MHFT, its design drivers and the major challenges in system optimization and characterization. We provide the current status of the development of the optical system and we describe the current plan of activities related to optical performance simulation and validation.
We are developing planar lenslet arrays for millimeter-wavelength imaging using metamaterials microlithically fabricated using silicon wafers. We describe the design process for a gradient-index (GRIN) metamaterial lenslet using metal-mesh patterned on silicon and a combination of metal-mesh and etched-hole metamaterial anti-reflection layers. We optimize the design using a bulk-material model to rapidly simulate and iterate on the lenslet design. We fabricated prototype GRIN metamaterial lenslet array and mounted it on a Polarbear/Simons Array 90/150 GHz band transition edge sensor (TES) bolometer detector array with sinuous planar antennas. Beam measurements of a prototype lenslet array agree reasonably well with the model simulations. We plan to further optimize the design and combine it with a broadband anti-reflection coating to achieve operation over 70–350 GHz bandwidth. Applications include measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and sub millimeter astrophysics.
The next generations of ground-based cosmic microwave background experiments will require polarisation sensitive, multichroic pixels of large focal planes comprising several thousand detectors operating at the photon noise limit. One approach to achieve this goal is to couple light from the telescope to a polarisation sensitive antenna structure connected to a superconducting diplexer network where the desired frequency bands are filtered before being fed to individual ultra-sensitive detectors such as Transition Edge Sensors. Traditionally, arrays constituted of horn antennas, planar phased antennas or anti-reflection coated micro-lenses have been placed in front of planar antenna structures to achieve the gain required to couple efficiently to the telescope optics. In this paper are presented the design concept and a preliminary analysis of the measured performances of a phase-engineered metamaterial flat-lenslet. The flat lens design is inherently matched to free space, avoiding the necessity of an anti-reflection coating layer. It can be fabricated lithographically, making scaling to large format arrays relatively simple. Furthermore, this technology is compatible with the fabrication process required for the production of large-format lumped element kinetic inductance detector arrays which have already demonstrated the required sensitivity along with multiplexing ratios of order 1000 detectors/channel.
LiteBIRD is a candidate for JAXA’s strategic large mission to observe the cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization over the full sky at large angular scales. It is planned to be launched in the 2020s with an H3 launch vehicle for three years of observations at a Sun-Earth Lagrangian point (L2). The concept design has been studied by researchers from Japan, U.S., Canada and Europe during the ISAS Phase-A1. Large scale measurements of the CMB B-mode polarization are known as the best probe to detect primordial gravitational waves. The goal of LiteBIRD is to measure the tensor-to-scalar ratio (r) with precision of r < 0:001. A 3-year full sky survey will be carried out with a low frequency (34 - 161 GHz) telescope (LFT) and a high frequency (89 - 448 GHz) telescope (HFT), which achieve a sensitivity of 2.5 μK-arcmin with an angular resolution 30 arcminutes around 100 GHz. The concept design of LiteBIRD system, payload module (PLM), cryo-structure, LFT and verification plan is described in this paper.
The need for larger arrays of millimeter and submillimeter wavelength detectors for Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiments is driving a demand for focal planes which can field large numbers of detectors with both high sensitivity and wide bandwidth. Current CMB experiments have $\sim 10^{4}$ detectors, with next generation focal planes requiring $\sim 10^{5}$ or more. One challenge of expanding the array size is coupling the detectors to instrument optics with a method that is broadband, low loss, and scalable.
Current state of the art methods of coupling incident radiation include phased array antenna-coupled detectors, corrugated feedhorn arrays, and hemispherical lenslet array-coupled planar antennas. Phased array antennas are fabricated using planar lithography techniques and therefore easily scalable, but are typically narrow band ($\sim 30\%$). Silicon platelet feedhorns are scalable and low loss, but typically achieve only an octave of bandwidth. Lenslets have been produced using silicon hemispheres stacked on silicon plates to approximate an elliptical lens. Low loss and broadband behavior is accomplished by individually molding anti-reflection layers made of materials with appropriate refractive indices and individually glued to arrays; however this approach does not easily scale to larger arrays.
We are developing planar lenslet arrays using metamaterials fabricated with standard microlithograpy techniques on silicon wafers. Instead of using difficult to manufacture curved optical surfaces, the lenslets consist of stacks of silicon wafers which are each patterned with an array of sub-wavelength features to produce optical features which form a well defined beam at measurement wavelengths. These arrays are being developed using two approaches: GRadient INdex (GRIN) lenslets which are fabricated by etching holes on a sub-wavelength grid to produce a spatially varying effective index of refraction, and metal-mesh lenslets which are produced by depositing spatially varying metallic features which act as a series of Transmission Line (TL) lumped element features to control phase delay across the wafer.
GRIN lenslets are fabricated by etching sub-wavelength holes on a periodic, sub-wavelength grid using standard microlithography techniques. The wafers can be stacked, allowing the spatial index to be altered along all dimensions, which allows for arbitrary anti-reflective coatings to be integrated in the lenslet design. Simulations in finite element modeling (FEM) software have been used to both evaluate the effective index of an individual element and simulate full lenslet structures.
Dielectrically embedded mesh-lenses are based on existing mesh-filter technology. Differently from the mesh-filters, the grids are inhomogeneous and their geometry is designed in such a way to impart variable phase shifts across the surface. The local phase shifts reproduce those that would be introduced by a classical dielectric lens. In this work we are developing mesh-lenslets on silicon substrates. The metal grids are supported by silicon nitride (SiN) membranes and kept at specific distances in an air-gap configuration. Finite element analysis is used to quantify and optimize the performance of these devices.
We report on progress in both lenslet design approaches. In each case we have developed a set of design equations which guide the design of the full lenslet structure. These structures are simulated using finite element modeling simulations. We report on measurements and efficacy of the design and simulation process and agreement with laboratory measurements of prototype lenslet arrays.
POLARBEAR is a cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization experiment located in the Atacama desert in Chile. The science goals of the POLARBEAR project are to do a deep search for CMB B-mode polarization created by inflationary gravitational waves, as well as characterize the CMB B-mode signal from gravitational lensing. POLARBEAR-1 started observations in 2012, and the POLARBEAR team has published a series of results from its first two seasons of observations, including the first measurement of a non-zero B-mode polarization angular power spectrum, measured at sub-degree scales where the dominant signal is gravitational lensing of the CMB. The Simons Array expands POLARBEAR to include an additional two telescopes with next-generation POLARBEAR-2 multi-chroic receivers, observing at 95, 150, 220, and 270 GHz.
The POLARBEAR-2A focal plane has 7,588 transition-edge sensor bolometers, read out with frequency-division multiplexing, with 40 frequency channels within the readout bandwidth of 1.5 to 4.5 MHz. The frequency channels are defined by a low-loss lithographed aluminum spiral inductor and interdigitated capacitor in series with each bolometer, creating a resonant frequency for each channel's unique voltage bias and current readout. Characterization of the readout includes measuring resonant peak locations and heights and fitting to a circuit model both above and below the bolometer superconducting transition temperature. This information is used determine the optimal detector bias frequencies and characterize stray impedances which may affect bolometer operation and stability. The detector electrical characterization includes measurements of the transition properties by sweeping in temperature and in voltage bias, measurements of the bolometer saturation power, as well as measuring and removing any biases introduced by the readout circuit. We present results from the characterization, tuning, and operation of the fully integrated focal plane and readout for the first POLARBEAR-2 receiver, POLARBEAR-2A, during its pre-deployment integration run.
POLARBEAR-2 is a new receiver system, which will be deployed on the Simons Array telescope platform, for the measurement of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) polarization. The science goals with POLARBEAR-2 are to characterize the B-mode signal both at degree and sub-degree angular-scales. The degree-scale polarization data can be used for quantitative studies on inflation, such as the reconstruction of the energy scale of inflation. The sub-degree polarization data is an excellent tracer of large-scale structure in the universe, and will lead to precise constraints on the sum of the neutrino masses. In order to achieve these goals, POLARBEAR-2 employs 7588 polarization-sensitive antenna-coupled transition-edge sensor (TES) bolometers on the focal plane cooled to 0.27K with a three-stage Helium sorption refrigerator, which is ~6 times larger array over the current receiver system. The large TES bolometer array is read-out by an upgraded digital frequency-domain multiplexing system capable of multiplexing 40 bolometers through a single superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID).
The first POLARBEAR-2 receiver, POLARBEAR-2A is constructed and the end-to-end testing to evaluate the integrated performance of detector, readout, and optics system is being conducted in the laboratory with various types of test equipments. The POLARBEAR-2A is scheduled to be deployed in 2018 at the Atacama desert in Chile. To further increase measurement sensitivity, two more POLARBEAR-2 type receivers will be deployed soon after the deployment (Simons Array project). The Simons Array will cover four frequency bands at 95GHz, 150GHz, 220GH and 270GHz for better control of the foreground signal. The projected constraints on a tensor-to-scalar ratio (amplitude of inflationary B-mode signal) is σ(r=0.1) = $6.0 \times 10^{-3}$ after foreground removal ($4.0 \times 10^{-3}$ (stat.)), and the sensitivity to the sum of the neutrino masses when combined with DESI spectroscopic galaxy survey data is 40 meV at 1-sigma after foreground removal (19 meV(stat.)).
We will present an overview of the design, assembly and status of the laboratory testing of the POLARBEAR-2A receiver system as well as the Simons Array project overview.
Y. Inoue, P. Ade, Y. Akiba, C. Aleman, K. Arnold, C. Baccigalupi, B. Barch, D. Barron, A. Bender, D. Boettger, J. Borrill, S. Chapman, Y. Chinone, A. Cukierman, T. de Haan, M. Dobbs, A. Ducout, R. Dünner, T. Elleflot, J. Errard, G. Fabbian, S. Feeney, C. Feng, G. Fuller, A. Gilbert, N. Goeckner-Wald, J. Groh, G. Hall, N. Halverson, T. Hamada, M. Hasegawa, K. Hattori, M. Hazumi, C. Hill, W. Holzapfel, Y. Hori, L. Howe, F. Irie, G. Jaehnig, A. Jaffe, O. Jeong, N. Katayama, J. Kaufman, K. Kazemzadeh, B. Keating, Z. Kermish, R. Keskitalo, T. Kisner, A. Kusaka, M. Le Jeune, A. Lee, D. Leon, E. Linder, L. Lowry, F. Matsuda, T. Matsumura, N. Miller, K. Mizukami, J. Montgomery, M. Navaroli, H. Nishino, H. Paar, J. Peloton, D. Poletti, G. Puglisi, C. Raum, G. Rebeiz, C. Reichardt, P. Richards, C. Ross, K. Rotermund, Y. Segawa, B. Sherwin, I. Shirley, P. Siritanasak, N. Stebor, R. Stompor, J. Suzuki, A. Suzuki, O. Tajima, S. Takada, S. Takatori, G. Teply, A. Tikhomirov, T. Tomaru, N. Whitehorn, A. Zahn, O. Zahn
POLARBEAR-2 (PB-2) is a cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization experiment that will be located in the Atacama highland in Chile at an altitude of 5200 m. Its science goals are to measure the CMB polarization signals originating from both primordial gravitational waves and weak lensing. PB-2 is designed to measure the tensor to scalar ratio, r, with precision σ(r) > 0:01, and the sum of neutrino masses, Σmz, with σ(Σmv) < 90 meV. To achieve these goals, PB-2 will employ 7588 transition-edge sensor bolometers at 95 GHz and 150 GHz, which will be operated at the base temperature of 250 mK. Science observations will begin in 2017.
N. Stebor, P. Ade, Y. Akiba, C. Aleman, K. Arnold, C. Baccigalupi, B. Barch, D. Barron, S. Beckman, A. Bender, D. Boettger, J. Borrill, S. Chapman, Y. Chinone, A. Cukierman, T. de Haan, M. Dobbs, A. Ducout, R. Dunner, T. Elleflot, J. Errard, G. Fabbian, S. Feeney, C. Feng, T. Fujino, G. Fuller, A. Gilbert, N. Goeckner-Wald, J. Groh, G. Hall, N. Halverson, T. Hamada, M. Hasegawa, K. Hattori, M. Hazumi, C. Hill, W. Holzapfel, Y. Hori, L. Howe, Y. Inoue, F. Irie, G. Jaehnig, A. Jaffe, O. Jeong, N. Katayama, J. Kaufman, K. Kazemzadeh, B. Keating, Z. Kermish, R. Keskitalo, T. Kisner, A. Kusaka, M. Le Jeune, A. Lee, D. Leon, E. Linder, L. Lowry, F. Matsuda, T. Matsumura, N. Miller, J. Montgomery, M. Navaroli, H. Nishino, H. Paar, J. Peloton, D. Poletti, G. Puglisi, C. Raum, G. Rebeiz, C. Reichardt, P. Richards, C. Ross, K. Rotermund, Y. Segawa, B. Sherwin, I. Shirley, P. Siritanasak, L. Steinmetz, R. Stompor, A. Suzuki, O. Tajima, S. Takada, S. Takatori, G. Teply, A. Tikhomirov, T. Tomaru, B. Westbrook, N. Whitehorn, A. Zahn, O. Zahn
The Simons Array is a next generation cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization experiment whose science target is a precision measurement of the B-mode polarization pattern produced both by inflation and by gravitational lensing. As a continuation and extension of the successful POLARBEAR experimental program, the Simons Array will consist of three cryogenic receivers each featuring multichroic bolometer arrays mounted onto separate 3.5m telescopes. The first of these, also called POLARBEAR-2A, will be the first to deploy in late 2016 and has a large diameter focal plane consisting of dual-polarization dichroic pixels sensitive at 95 GHz and 150 GHz. The POLARBEAR-2A focal plane will utilize 7,588 antenna-coupled superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers read out with SQUID amplifiers using frequency domain multiplexing techniques. The next two receivers that will make up the Simons Array will be nearly identical in overall design but will feature extended frequency capability. The combination of high sensitivity, multichroic frequency coverage and large sky area available from our mid-latitude Chilean observatory will allow Simons Array to produce high quality polarization sky maps over a wide range of angular scales and to separate out the CMB B-modes from other astrophysical sources with high fidelity. After accounting for galactic foreground separation, the Simons Array will detect the primordial gravitational wave B-mode signal to r > 0.01 with a significance of > 5σ and will constrain the sum of neutrino masses to 40 meV (1σ) when cross-correlated with galaxy surveys. We present the current status of this funded experiment, its future, and discuss its projected science return.
Y. Inoue, N. Stebor, P. A. Ade, Y. Akiba, K. Arnold, A. Anthony, M. Atlas, D. Barron, A. Bender, D. Boettger, J. Borrilll, S. Chapman, Y. Chinone, A. Cukierman, M. Dobbs, T. Elleflot, J. Errard, G. Fabbian, C. Feng, A. Gilbert, N. Halverson, M. Hasegawa, K. Hattori, M. Hazumi, W. Holzapfel, Y. Hori, G. Jaehnig, A. Jaffe, N. Katayama, B. Keating, Z. Kermish, Reijo Keskitalo, T. Kisner, M. Le Jeune, A. Lee, E. Leitch, E. Linder, F. Matsuda, T. Matsumura, X. Meng, H. Morii, M. Myers, M. Navaroli, H. Nishino, T. Okamura, H. Paar, J. Peloton, D. Poletti, G. Rebeiz, C. Reichardt, P. Richards, C. Ross, D. Schenck, B. Sherwin, P. Siritanasak, G. Smecher, M. Sholl, B. Steinbach, R. Stompor, A. Suzuki, J. Suzuki, S. Takada, S. Takakura, T. Tomaru, B. Wilson, A. Yadav, H. Yamaguchi, O. Zahn
POLARBEAR-2 (PB-2) is a cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization experiment for B-mode detection. The PB-2 receiver has a large focal plane and aperture that consists of 7588 transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers at 250 mK. The receiver consists of the optical cryostat housing reimaging lenses and infrared filters, and the detector cryostat housing TES bolometers. The large focal plane places substantial requirements on the thermal design of the optical elements at the 4K, 50K, and 300K stages. Infrared filters and lenses inside the optical cryostat are made of alumina for this purpose. We measure basic properties of alumina, such as the index of refraction, loss tangent and thermal conductivity. All results meet our requirements. We also optically characterize filters and lenses made of alumina. Finally, we perform a cooling test of the entire optical cryostat. All measured temperature values satisfy our requirements. In particular, the temperature rise between the center and edge of the alumina infrared filter at 50 K is only 2:0 ± 1:4 K. Based on the measurements, we estimate the incident power to each thermal stage.
The Simons Array is an expansion of the POLARBEAR cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization experiment currently observing from the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. This expansion will create an array of three 3.5m telescopes each coupled to a multichroic bolometric receiver. The Simons Array will have the sensitivity to produce a ≥ 5σ detection of inationary gravitational waves with a tensor-to-scalar ratio r ≥ 0:01, detect the known minimum 58 meV sum of the neutrino masses with 3σ confidence when combined with a next-generation baryon acoustic oscillation measurement, and make a lensing map of large-scale structure over the 80% of the sky available from its Chilean site. These goals require high sensitivity and the ability to extract the CMB signal from contaminating astrophysical foregrounds; these requirements are met by coupling the three high-throughput telescopes to novel multichroic lenslet-coupled pixels each measuring CMB photons in both linear polarization states over multiple spectral bands. We present the status of this instrument already under construction, and an analysis of its capabilities.
POLARBEAR-2 is a next-generation receiver for precision measurements of polarization of the cosmic microwave background, scheduled to deploy in 2015. It will feature a large focal plane, cooled to 250 milliKelvin, with 7,588 polarization-sensitive antenna-coupled transition edge sensor bolometers, read-out with frequency domain multiplexing with 32 bolometers on a single SQUID amplifier. We will present results from testing and characterization of new readout components, integrating these components into a scaled-down readout system for validation of the design and technology.
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