Publication Date:
2019-07-20
Description:
We present the design and performance of broadband and tunable infrared-blocking filters for millimeter and sub-millimeter astronomy composed of small scattering particles embedded in an aerogel substrate. The ultra-low-density (〈 100 mg/cu cm) aerogel substrate provides an index of refraction as low as 1.05, removing the need for anti-reflection coatings and allowing for broadband operation from DC to above 1 THz. The size distribution of the scattering particles can be tuned to provide a variable cutoff frequency. Aerogel filters with embedded high-resistivity silicon powder are being produced at 40-cm diameter to enable large-aperture cryogenic receivers for cosmic microwave background polarimeters, which require large arrays of sub-Kelvin detectors in their search for the signature of an inflationary gravitational-wave background.
Keywords:
Instrumentation and Photography; Astronomy
Type:
GSFC-E-DAA-TN67039
,
Millimeter, Submillimeter, and Far-Infrared Detectors and Instrumentation for Astronomy IX; 10708; 107080F|SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation; Jun 12, 2018 - Jun 14, 2018; Austin, TX; United States
Format:
application/pdf
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