Read Out of Single Photon Cryogenic Array Detectors Via Energy Efficient Digital Means

HYPRES, Inc. manufactures and sells a broadband digital radio receiver system, already present in several US Naval and other military facilities. This digital receiver is built around a fast superconducting analog-to-digital converter (ADC), which has low noise, low power, broad bandwidth, and high linear dynamic range. A similar superconductor ADC can be closely integrated with cryogenic sensor arrays (such as microwave kinetic inductance bolometers or MKIDs for single-photon imaging), enabling both reduction in system power and scaling to large imaging arrays. During Phase I, HYPRES will customize the ADC designs for different MKID array sizes, develop semiconducting and superconducting signal conditioning amplifiers, and simulate system performance. The first customized ADC will be fabricated and demonstrated in Phase I option. During Phase II, HYPRES will work with an established detector laboratory to integrate the ADC with a system testbed for the MKID array and demonstrate its performance. Similar ADCs can be applied to digitize other cryogenic sensor outputs for imaging arrays, such as transition edge sensors (TES), superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD), and superconducting tunnel junctions (STJ).