Speaker
Description
The most compelling open questions in cosmology -- understanding the nature of inflation, dark energy, dark matter, and light relativistic species -- require cosmic surveys over extremely large volumes. The emerging technique of millimeter-wave line intensity mapping (LIM) has the potential to measure large-scale structure at distances far greater than the next generation of optical surveys. But while pathfinder instruments are now demonstrating the technique, they lack the sensitivity to constrain cosmology. Next-generation LIM experiments with orders of magnitude more sensitivity will require large-format arrays of on-chip superconducting mm-wave spectrometers. I will discuss the technical advances needed for these detectors to achieve their potential, including novel spectrometer architectures, R&D in superconducting materials, and advanced microwave readout technologies. I will also outline the path towards deploying these detectors at scale in a staged series of LIM experiments, including the SPT-SLIM pathfinder deploying next year and an eventual upgrade to the future SPT-3G+.
