Workshop Overview:
This study will significantly advance the capability to build single photon counting array detectors at submillimeter to ultraviolet wavelengths for astronomy, including optical single photon detectors for communications. The ability to count single photons offers the ultimate sensitivity for imaging and spectroscopic astronomical instruments. This sensitivity is required to achieve astronomical background limited sensitivity in the submillimeter-far infrared wavelength range which will surely be exploited in follow-on missions to Spitzer and Herschel, as well as to GALEX at ultraviolet wavelengths. Single photon counting detection offers the potential for energy resolving arrays that can carry out low-resolution spectroscopic imaging without the complexity or loss from wavelength-selective devices. This capability is required for the highest performance coronagraphs envisioned for future exoplanet detection missions.
Single photon detectors are essential to optimize high bandwidth optical communication links to distant spacecraft whose data rates will themselves be growing rapidly. In the initial phase of this study, we will examine a number of single photon detection concepts at different stages of development. By using two workshops, and activating study groups involving JPL, Caltech, industry, and researchers at other academic institutions, we will develop a plan for advancing the state of the art. We will select for further study a subset of promising technologies in different spectral regions and at different stages of development. This selection will be done on the basis of technical issues combined with possibilities for use in space missions currently under consideration.
We see this program as a synergistic one between these different concepts in terms of basic physics, materials, fabrication, readout techniques, and testing; one that will result in a “quantum leap forward” for single photon counting detector technology.
Team Leads
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Caltech
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Paul Goldsmith
JPL
- James W Beletic — Teledyne Imaging Sensors
- Karl K Berggren — MIT
- Matt Bradford — JPL
- Juan Bueno — Centro de AstroBiologia
- Faustin Carter — Yale University
- Bill Cottingame — Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
- Peter Day — JPL
- Pierre M Echternach — JPL
- Bill Farr — JPL
- Don F Figer — RIT
- Scott E Fraser — Caltech
- Peg A Frerking — JPL
- Luis Giordano — Universidad De Talca
- Paul F Goldsmith — JPL/Caltech
- Erika T Hamden — Columbia University
- Sasha Hinkley — Caltech
- Michael Hoenk — JPL
- Kent Irwin — NIST
- Boris Karasik — JPL/Caltech
- H.J. Kimble — Caltech
- Teun Klapwijk — Delft Univ of Technology
- Chao-Lin Kuo — Standford University
- Yuhwa Lo — UCSD
- Phil Lubin — UCSB
- Peter Mao — Caltech
- Christopher Martin — Caltech
- Ben Mazin — UCSB
- Sean McHugh — UCSB
- Bob T Menzies — JPL
- Alan Migdall — Joint Quantum Institute
- Patrick Morrissey — Caltech
- Harvey Moseley — NASA/GSFC
- Mark Muzilla — DRS Sensors & Targeting Systems
- Sae Woo Nam — NIST
- Shouleh Nikzad — JPL
- Oskar Painter — Caltech
- Sergey Pereverzev — JPL
- Dan E Prober — Yale University
- Daniel Santavicca — Yale University
- Virendra Sarohia — JPL
- David Schiminovich — Columbia University
- Dan R Schuette — MIT Lincoln Laboratory
- Andrei Sergeev — Univ at Buffalo – SUNY
- Roman Sobolewski — Univ of Rochester
- Jeff A Stern — JPL
- John Vallerga — UC Berkeley
- Nai-Chang Yeh — Caltech
- Xinyu Zheng — JPL
- Jonas Zmuidzinas — Caltech/JPL
Presentations
| Speaker | Affiliation | Presentation |
|---|---|---|
| James Beletic | Teledyne | Single Photon Counting in the X-ray, Visible and Infrared (.pdf) |
| Juan Bueno | CSIC-INTA | Optical Characterization of the Quantum Capacitance Detector (QCD) (.pdf) |
| Bill Cottingame | Northrup Grumman | Requirements and Candidates for Ladar Single-Photon Detector Arrays (.pdf) |
| Pierre Echternach | JPL | Proof of Concept of the Quantum Capacitance Detector (.pdf) |
| Bill Farr | JPL | Photon Counting Detectors for Laser Communications and Interplanetary Light Science (.pdf) |
| Don Figer | Rochester Imaging Detector Lab | Developing and Deploying Single Photon Counting Array Detectors (.pdf) |
| Scott Fraser | Caltech | Potential Biomedical Applications (.pdf) |
| Sasha Hinkley | Caltech | High-Contrast Imaging and Exoplanet Applications (.pdf) |
| Michael Hoenk | JPL | Delta Doping Technology for UV Photon Counting Detector Arrays (.pdf) |
| Kent Irwin | NIST | Photon Detection with the TES: Gamma-Rays to the CMB Technology for a Mega-Pixel Imager (.pdf) |
| Boris Karasik | JPL | Superconducting Hot-Electron Nanobolometer for FIR and Mid-IR Single-Photon Spectroscopy (.pdf) |
| Teun Klapwijk | Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft | Resistive Superconducting Films for Photonsensing Devices Conventional Superconductivity in 'Bad Metals.' (.pdf) |
| Chao-Lin Kuo | Stanford | Photon Counting Astronomy with TES (.pdf) |
| Yuhwa Lo | UCSD | New Concepts of IR Single-Photon Detectors (.pdf) |
| Peter Mao | Caltech | Energy Resolved Imaging in X‐Ray Astrophysics (.pdf) |
| Chris Martin | Caltech | Applications for UV Photon Counting Detectors: Mapping the Hidden Cosmic Web of Baryons (.pdf) |
| Ben Mazin | UCSB | Optical/UV Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKIDs) (.pdf) |
| Alan Migdall | Caltech | Single-Photon Detector & Metrology Efforts at NIST (.pdf) |
| Patrick Morrissey | Caltech | Delta Doped L3 CCD Imagers for Low Surface Brightness UV Astronomy: From GALEX to the IGM (.pdf) |
| Sae Woo Nam | NIST | NIST Optical Photon Detectors (UV to NIR) for Quantum Information Mega-pixel TES camera (.pdf) |
| Oskar Painter | Caltech | Nanooptomechanics: Utilizing Light Forces Within Guidedwave Nanostructures (.pdf) |
| Dan Prober | Yale University | Superconducting Single Photon Detectors (.pdf) |
| Dan Santavicca | Yale University | Energy Resolution of THz Single-Photon-Sensitive Bolometric Detectors (.pdf) |
| Dave Schiminovich | Columbia University | UV Photon Counting Detectors: Past and Future Challenges (.pdf) |
| Andrei Sergeev | SUNY at Buffalo | Quantum Noise Limit in Ultrasensitive Nanodetectors: Counting of Phonons (.pdf) |
| Roman Sobolewski | University of Rochester | Superconducting single-photon detectors as photon-energy and polarization resolving devices (.pdf) |
| John Vallerga | UC Berkeley | Microchannel Plate Single Photon Imaging Detectors for Astronomy – Do They Need to be Replaced? (.pdf) |
| Nai-Chang Yeh | Caltech | Novel Nano-Engineered Semiconductors for Possible Photon Sources and Detectors (.pdf) |
| Jonas Zmuidzinas | Caltech | MKIDS: Prospects for the far‐IR (.pdf) |
