Superconducting Detector Test Facility
The purpose of the facility is to develop and test superconducting (and other cryogenic) detectors operating at temperatures < 1 Kelvin. Dilution and 3He refrigerators provide access to ultralow temperatures. Sensitive instrumentation allows measurements of detector material properties and functional performance at frequencies ranging from direct current to microwave.
The facility is located in Building 21, Room 083A. It will offer a unique combination of "access to cold" and specialized instrumentation for low temperature detector characterization. The dilution refrigerator has a base temperature of 7 mK, a cooling power of 560 microwatts at 100 mK, a 170 mm diameter sample space at the cold end, and a 50 mm diameter line-of-sight port from room temperature. The spacious sample region and the very large cooling power, both on the cold stage and at intermediate temperatures will allow large detector arrays to be tested with room temperature signal sources with adequate heat removal from intervening IR filters, waveguides, and cold electronics.
Contact Person: Thomas Stevenson 301 286-1221
