Ultra-low readout noise detectors will enable increased sensitivity to high-density and high-redshift spectroscopic surveys to place tighter constraints on dark energy and dark matter (e.g., a Stage-5 Spectroscopic Survey). We present advances towardplans for demonstrating the performance of an ultra-low noise Skipper CCD focal plane prototype for the SOAR Integral Field Spectrograph (SIFS)...
The partial charge collection (PCC) layer is a transition interface between the back-end SiO2 (or SiO2 + ZrO2 + In) death layer and the high-purity Silicon bulk in a CCD. Due to the increased likelihood of re-absorption of electron-hole pairs in this region, the charge collection efficiency is typically below that in the bulk. This layer has a large impact on the efficiency loss of the optical...
The 2020 Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Astro2020) recommended technology development for a large, 6-m class, infrared/optical/ultraviolet space telescope as its highest priority for strategic space missions. The search for evidence of life on other worlds using spectroscopic biosignatures is a key science aim. Many important biosignatures; including H$_2$O and O$_2$, are strong...
