The near-infrared spectrometer and photometer (NISP) focal plane, comprising 16 H2RGs and Sidecar ASICs, was successfully commissioned in the second half of 2023. Flight models of the detectors have been extensively tested on the ground during the C/D phase by NASA and the Euclid consortium, offering a good point of comparison with flight commissioning data.
The proposed presentation aims to...
Non-destructive readout capability of the Skipper Charge Coupled Device (CCD) has been proven to be a powerful technique to reduce the noise limitation of conventional silicon devices even to levels that allow single-photon or single-electron counting. The noise reduction is achieved by spending extra time taking several measurements of the same pixel charge. This extra time has been a...
Single electron Sensitive Read Out (SiSeRO) is a novel on-chip charge detector output stage for silicon charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors that can enable significantly greater responsivity and improved noise performance than traditional CCDs. Developed in collaboration with MIT Lincoln Laboratory and fabricated in their CCD process technology, SiSeRO devices use a p-MOSFET transistor...
Optical detectors in future astronomical facilities require both single-electron resolution and fast readout capability to meet ambitious science goals including obtaining spectra for diffuse dwarf galaxies, identifying rapidly fading transient events, and directly imaging Earth-like extrasolar planets. Skipper CCDs used in dark matter detection experiments have shown their ability to reach...
The linear-mode, avalanche photodiode array (LmAPD) based on bandgap-engineered HgCdTe, grown by Metal Organic Vapour Phase Epitaxy (MOVPE) is an important product type at Leonardo UK. High-value instruments often employ LmAPDs where the photon count is low and conventional detectors cease to be sensitive. Applications now split into three main categories. Firstly, for applications with...
Skipper-CCDs with sub-electron noise have been a transformative device for rare event searches. There is growing interest in using skipper-CCDs in future space-based telescopes, but skipper-CCDs need further development to realize their potential for space-based imaging. The DarkNESS mission will deploy an array of skipper-CCDs on a 6U CubeSat in Low Earth Orbit to search for electron recoils...
