Kilopixel Array Cryostat (KPAC) System for Mulit-kilogram Transition Edge Sensor (TES) Arrays

Transition Edge Sensor (TES) detector development at NIST has reached a level where arrays containing several thousand pixels (kilopixels) are practical and , indeed, necessary for fielding systems required for many industrial, research, and homeland security applications. Current easily deployable cryostat technology required to reach the ultra-cold operating temperatures of TES arrays (50 to 100 mK) can not cope with the size or the heat load of kilopixel arrays. The housings and shielding required to support such arrays have masses of several (~5) kilograms. Also, the heat load of several hundred wires traveling from room temperature down to the TES arrays in addition to the self-heat generated by the array itself (e.g., bias currents) is significant. By solving these issues in a compact system with the minimal amount of room temperature infrastructure, the Kilo Pixel Array Cryostat will eliminate a substantial barrier to the wide dissemination and use of NIST¿s detector arrays in a variety of novel and critical applications.