Speaker
Description
At MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, exciting instrumentation/characterization work is being conducted across multiple research groups to push the technology of imaging detectors for astronomy applications. This overview presentation will highlight the recent progress/testing of several detectors across multiple wavelengths.
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IR/SWIR: The Wide-Field Infrared Transient Explorer (WINTER) is a new fully robotic infrared time-domain survey instrument at the Palomar Observatory, commissioned in June 2023. We have designed a low-noise, cost-effective, room temperature camera based on commercially produced Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) sensors, at dramatic cost savings over the HgCdTe traditionally favored for research-grade astronomical instruments. An overview of this detector and early commissioning results will be presented along with future directions of larger InGaAs sensors.
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X-ray: Several groups are conducting research in detection of soft X-rays including The Rocket Experiment Demonstration of a Soft X-ray Polarimeter (REDSoX) which is a NASA-funded sounding rocket program (2027 launch) and will fly a soft X-ray polarimeter utilizing focusing optics, CAT-gratings, laterally grated multilayer mirrors, and imaging detectors to create a polarimeter that measures low energy X-Rays. An overview of the evaluation of off-the-shelf detectors (CCD and CMOS) characterized on our X-ray beamline will be presented.
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Visible: Recently, a Hamamatsu qCMOS (quantitative Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) detector was purchased for future installation at the Magellan telescope as a shared user resource. qCMOS technology will provide astronomers enhanced sensitivity and quantum efficiency enabling state-of-the art detection for astronomical observations. An overview of the initial lab characterization and plans will be presented.
Keywords for your contribution subject matter (this will assist SOC in accurately characterizing your contribution)
InGaAs, X-ray, characterization, CMOS
| contribution subject matter | CMOS sensors |
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