QSHS Fast Oscilloscope for Time-domain Diagnostics (QFOT)

QSHS项目有资金来建造和操作波状暗物质的探测器，例如轴子，如果存在的话，可能会构成星系中90%的物质和宇宙全部能量的26%！这些探测器本质上是耦合到共振电磁腔的非常低噪声的无线电接收器，有时由强磁场贯穿(例如，如果我们正在寻找轴子)。通过使用我们集团正在开发的世界上最好的放大器和其他电子元件来实现低噪声，以确保放大器输出到达室温计算机，这些计算机分析数据时不会受到电磁噪声的扭曲或遮挡。通过在比绝对零度高出百分之一摄氏度的非常低的物理温度下进行实验，可以最大限度地减少噪音。这是使用稀释冰箱实现的。我们设备中出现的信号是高频无线电，在这种情况下，很难实际测量信号并将其显示在图表上。相反，通常要做的是测量无线电的输出，但这只是信号与时间关系图所呈现的全部画面的一部分。为了从我们的设备中获得这张图，我们可以使用示波器足够快地获取数据，以便有足够的时间观察我们的设备对它通常会产生的微小信号的反应，这种信号被称为单量子。拥有观察这些快速微小信号所需的电子设备的示波器是昂贵的商品。我们要求这样一个示波器，但我们知道价格太高(太高了，我们不能把它包括在我们对STFC的QSHS项目的原始投标中)。因此，我们设法让LeCroy，这类示波器的主要供应商，给我们提供了一个合适的装置的非常好的交易。它将被打折到标价的34%，不包括增值税的成本略低于60K GB。这代表着非凡的性价比，为资助的QSHS项目增加了关键的诊断能力。此外，所要求的示波器实际上超过了我们的规格，具有14 GHz的带宽，超过了我们研究的需要。QSHS的一个主要部分是测试由与我们合作的小组在QSHS设备中开发的极低噪声电子设备。我们打算让团队带着全套设备和辅助测试设备出现在谢菲尔德的设施中，以便连接到我们的设备上进行评估，并可能用于暗物质的搜索。全套本地诊断设备，包括快速示波器，在将现场购买的设备与我们的设施集成方面非常有用，这样我们就可以最大限度地从已安装的设备中受益。总而言之，所要求的设备将最大限度地提高现有STFC资助设施的科学产出，并以建议供应商提供的非常划算的价格提供。因此，这是对本申请所提交的装备基金的一种一流的使用。

The QSHS project has funding to build and operate detectors for wave-like dark matter, such as axions, that, if it exists, might make up 90% of the matter in galaxies and 26% of the full energy content of the Universe! These detectors are essentially very low noise radio receivers coupled to resonant electromagnetic cavities, sometimes threaded by intense magnetic fields (if we're looking for axions, for example). Low noise is achieved by using the worlds best amplifiers, under development in our group amongst other places, and other electronics elements, to ensure the amplifier output reaches the room temperature computers that analyse the data without being distorted or obscured by electromagnetic noise. Noise is minimised by operating the experiment at a very low physical temperature, one hundredth of a degree centigrade above absolute zero. This is achieved using a dilution refrigerator.The signal that appears in our apparatus is in the high frequency radio, a regime where it is hard to actually measure the signal and display it on a graph. Instead, what is usually done is to measure the output of the radio, but this is only part of the full picture presented by a graph of signal versus time. To get this graph out of our apparatus, we could use an oscilloscope sufficiently fast to acquire the data for enough time to observe the response of our apparatus to the tiny signals that it will typically produce, called single quanta. Oscilloscopes having the required electronics to observe these fast tiny signals are expensive items. We are requesting such an oscilloscope, but we are aware that the price tag is high (too high for us to include it in our original bid to STFC for the QSHS project). So, we have managed to get LeCroy, a primary vendor for such oscilloscopes, to give us a very good deal on a suitable unit. It would be discounted to 34% of the list price, and cost just shy of £60k excluding VAT. This represents exceptional value for money, adding a crucial diagnostic capability to the funded QSHS project. Furthermore, the requested oscilloscope actually exceeds our specification, having 14GHz of bandwidth, more than what we need for our research.A major part of QSHS is the testing of very low noise electronics developed by groups collaborating with us in the QSHS apparatus. We intend that groups will show up at the Sheffield facility with a full suite of devices and auxiliary test equipment to bolt to our apparatus for evaluation and possible use in searches for dark matter. A full suite of local diagnostic equipment, including a fast oscilloscope, will be very useful in integrating equipment that is bought on site with our facility so that we can benefit maximally from the equipment that has been installed. In summary, the requested equipment will maximise the science output from an existing STFC-funded facility at a very good value price from the proposed vendor. As such this is a first-class use of the equipment fund to which this request is submitted.