Kilopixel Performance of the Kinetic Inductance Detectors for the Terahertz Intensity Mapper
Abstract
We characterize a flight-grade array of lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs) developed for the long-wavelength module of the Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM). From an 864-pixel science array, we select 490 well-isolated resonators spanning the focal plane and readout band and measure their thermal response, optical responsivity, and noise using a ZCU111-based multitone readout system intended for flight. The thermal and optical response of the detector population is consistent with previous single-pixel measurements and can be described by Mattis-Bardeen theory under the influence of a change in Cooper pair or quasi-particle density. Under increasing blackbody loading, the measured noise transitions from a thermal generation-recombination-dominated floor to photon-noise-limited scaling, with the majority of detectors achieving photon-noise-limited operation by approximately 400 fW incident power, with a median detector noise-limited NEP of NEPdet = 1.1×10−17 W √(Hz). The measured photon-noise scaling implies a median optical efficiency of approximately 0.67, indicating additional unknown loss sources between the detectors and blackbody radiator, tentatively attributed to losses in the waveguide. These results demonstrate that the TIM LEKID architecture retains the required sensitivity when scaled to kilopixel-class arrays; the principal remaining challenges are array-level tone optimization, resonator tracking, and identification of frequency-domain collisions.
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BibTeX
@misc{bracks2026kilopixel,
title = {{Kilopixel Performance of the Kinetic Inductance Detectors for the Terahertz Intensity Mapper}},
author = {Justin S. Bracks and Reinier M. J. Janssen and Steve Hailey-Dunsheath and Talia Saeid and Bruce Bumble and Logan Foote and Elijah Kane and Lun-Jun Liu and Charles M. Bradford and Shubh Agrawal and James E. Aguirre and Hrushi Athreya and Brockton S. Brendal and Karia Dibert and Peter Dow and Jeffrey P. Filippini and Jianyang Fu and Karolina G. Garcia and Christopher E. Groppi and Bradley Johnson and Dylan Joralmon and Wooseok Kang and Garrett K. Keating and Ryan P. Keenan and Ian N. Lowe and Alex Manduca and Aashrita Mangu and Daniel P. Marrone and Philip D. Mauskopf and Evan C. Mayer and Sydnee ODonnell and Simon Tartakovsky and Mathilde Van Cuyck and Joaquin D. Vieira and Jessica A. Zebrowski},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.38769},
eprint = {2609.38769},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.38769},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Kilopixel Performance of the Kinetic Inductance Detectors for the Terahertz Intensity Mapper
AU - Justin S. Bracks
AU - Reinier M. J. Janssen
AU - Steve Hailey-Dunsheath
AU - Talia Saeid
AU - Bruce Bumble
AU - Logan Foote
AU - Elijah Kane
AU - Lun-Jun Liu
AU - Charles M. Bradford
AU - Shubh Agrawal
AU - James E. Aguirre
AU - Hrushi Athreya
AU - Brockton S. Brendal
AU - Karia Dibert
AU - Peter Dow
AU - Jeffrey P. Filippini
AU - Jianyang Fu
AU - Karolina G. Garcia
AU - Christopher E. Groppi
AU - Bradley Johnson
AU - Dylan Joralmon
AU - Wooseok Kang
AU - Garrett K. Keating
AU - Ryan P. Keenan
AU - Ian N. Lowe
AU - Alex Manduca
AU - Aashrita Mangu
AU - Daniel P. Marrone
AU - Philip D. Mauskopf
AU - Evan C. Mayer
AU - Sydnee ODonnell
AU - Simon Tartakovsky
AU - Mathilde Van Cuyck
AU - Joaquin D. Vieira
AU - Jessica A. Zebrowski
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.38769
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.38769
AB - We characterize a flight-grade array of lumped-element kinetic inductance detectors (LEKIDs) developed for the long-wavelength module of the Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM). From an 864-pixel science array, we select 490 well-isolated resonators spanning the focal plane and readout band and measure their thermal response, optical responsivity, and noise using a ZCU111-based multitone readout system intended for flight. The thermal and optical response of the detector population is consistent with previous single-pixel measurements and can be described by Mattis-Bardeen theory under the influence of a change in Cooper pair or quasi-particle density. Under increasing blackbody loading, the measured noise transitions from a thermal generation-recombination-dominated floor to photon-noise-limited scaling, with the majority of detectors achieving photon-noise-limited operation by approximately 400 fW incident power, with a median detector noise-limited NEP of NEP_det = 1.1×10^−17 W √(Hz). The measured photon-noise scaling implies a median optical efficiency of approximately 0.67, indicating additional unknown loss sources between the detectors and blackbody radiator, tentatively attributed to losses in the waveguide. These results demonstrate that the TIM LEKID architecture retains the required sensitivity when scaled to kilopixel-class arrays; the principal remaining challenges are array-level tone optimization, resonator tracking, and identification of frequency-domain collisions.
ER -