MRI: Development of a Cryogenic Receiver for MKID Detector Arrays

目前建立的大爆炸理论的宇宙学模型仍然留下了一个问题，即整个可观测的宇宙是如何在一个戏剧性的、指数级的“膨胀”中从一个亚核的、微观的时空体积膨胀到当前的宏观时空体积的。对宇宙微波背景辐射（毫米/亚毫米天空的温度和偏振）的非常敏感的测量传统上与大型宇宙微波背景调查有关，但超深空天图将在利用新宇宙学观测量的全部力量方面发挥至关重要的作用，并对再电离时代的持续时间和时间提供突破性的限制。该奖项支持100 mK稀释制冷机低温恒温器的设计和建造，该低温恒温器将用于开发和测试原型微波动态电感探测器（MKID）阵列，多路复用读出和低损耗光学器件。当这个低温恒温器配备了完整的探测器阵列，读出和光学器件时，它将包括一个新的相机，具有任何现有或计划的毫米/亚毫米（mm/sub-mm）实验所不具备的独特功能。在10米南极望远镜（SPT）上使用这台相机进行观测将导致我们在理解宇宙演化和控制其膨胀的基本物理学方面取得重大进展。该提案利用了对原型MKID阵列和读出器生产的大量投资，并将受益于NSF对SPT建设和运营的投资，从而能够快速部署该相机并实现开创性的新科学计划。这项工作建立在SPT团队的经验和科学成就的基础上，该团队在SPT上部署了三台相机，并使用由此产生的数据对早期宇宙进行了世界领先的研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The current established cosmological model for a theory of the Big Bang still leaves open a question how the entire observable Universe being spawned in a dramatic, exponential "inflation" from a sub-nuclear, microscopical volume to the current macro-scale volume of spacetime. The extraordinarily sensitive measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation (temperature and polarization of the mm/sub-mm sky) are traditionally associated with large CMB surveys, but the ultra-deep sky maps will play a vital role in exploiting the full power of new cosmological observables and provide groundbreaking constraints on the duration and timing of the Epoch of Reionization. This award supports the design and construction of a 100 mK dilution refrigerator cryostat that will be used to develop and test prototype Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detector (MKID) arrays, multiplexed readout, and low-loss optics. When this cryostat is outfitted with a full complement of detector arrays, readout, and optics, it will comprise a new camera with unique capabilities not provided by any existing or planned millimeter/submillimeter (mm/sub-mm) experiments. Observations with this camera on the 10-meter South Pole Telescope (SPT) will lead to major advances in our quest to understand the evolution of the Universe and the underlying physics that governs its expansion. This proposal leverages significant investment in the production of prototype MKID arrays and readout and will benefit from the NSF's investments in the SPT construction and operation, thus enabling rapid deployment of this camera and realization of the groundbreaking new scientific program. This work builds on the experience and scientific successes of the SPT team that which has fielded three cameras on the SPT and used the resulting data to produce world-leading studies of the early Universe.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.